Ig5 DECOMPOSITION OF -WTATER BY GALVANISM. 



with the zinc side, and imtnediately gas was disenojaged' at 

 Oxigetiinone their respective, extremities n and p. On examining the 

 d*r ifui th ^'''^^ses obtained in the two receivers, the gas in the receiver 

 other,wlieii connected with the negative side of the battery was hidro- 

 •R-ater only was ,^^^ ^j^^^ -^^ ^^^ receiver connected with the positive 



eiatiloyed; " . . . 



side, oxigen. This arrangement did not differ essentially 



from that represented at fig. 2 ; and the reason why the 

 gasses are found separate is equally applicable to both. 

 but whea mer- I tht^n removed the water out of the bent siphon, and 

 csr5r was inter- supplied its placevvith mercury, confidently expecting, that 

 ^^ * the mercury (making^ allowance for its oxidable property) 



would operate precisely as the connecting wire in the ar- 

 rangement represented at fig. 4. Accordingl)', on connect- 

 ing the wires N and P with the opposite sides ot the batter}', 

 thiswasoxided •" ^ few seconds I perceived an oxidation of the mercury 

 inomre- taking place at the point p of the bent siphon, which, as the 



cctver, and left . ^. ^ j • i i i r. i i 



purehidrogen, ^""^ ' P ^^^ connected with the zinc side ot the battery, 

 while the other was a positive point. Gas was copiously disengaged at the 

 teined'^boih" opposite extremity of the siphon, as well as from the points 

 oxigen and hi- n and p of the connecting wires. After allowing the decom- 

 ***"* position to go on during some minutes, I examined the 



gasises in the two receivers. The gas in the receiver over the 

 capsule B exploded by the electric spark, and disappeared 

 completely, while no effect whatever was produced by pass- 

 ing a succession of electric sparks through the gas in the re- 

 ceiver over A. I therefore introduced into this receiver as 

 much oxigen, by measure, as was equal to half the bulk of 

 the gas which it already contained, and which I had no doubt 

 was purehidrogen : I then passed the electric spark through 

 the mixture, when an explosion took place, and both gasses 

 completely disappeared, 

 fitter there- This experiment, therefore, so far from supporting the 

 opinion of Ritter, shows, that he must have been misled by 

 a partial view of the circumstances attending the decompo- 

 sitions, while it affords an additional illustration of what I 

 have already stated with respect to a series of alternately 

 positive and negative points at every interruption of the cir- 

 cuit. ,x 

 Another expe- Pursuing still farther the idea of this alternation of the 

 linicntvaib aij electric states, 1 cemented to a glass rod a succession of 



small 



fore miiied. 



