ON ELECTRO-CHEMICAL DECOMPOSITION* ^J 



ated gas, sulphur was frequently deposited, and the gas of the two 

 evolved was always a mixture of oxigen and hidrogen. p^^'^» ^^ 

 Yet I have no reason to suppose roy experiments defective, sulphur, 

 as the acid was concentrated, and remained distinctly sepa- 

 rate from the water. 



The apparatus represented by Mr. Anderson (plate 6, 1" decora po- 

 fig. 3,) is frequently employed to procure the productis of ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ 

 electrified water separate ; and I have never observed an vessois 

 individual at all conversant with electro-chemical apparatus, 

 surprised at the result. It is indeed impossible to examine 

 the progress of an experiment of this kind, without per- 

 ceiving the liberation of gas at the extremity of the wires 

 connected with the battery, as well as at the extremities of 

 that cemented into the receivers. Both gasses are evidently bothgasses 

 evolved from the water in each of the vessels A, B, C, D, ^he wat/rkT 

 but one only is collected; and it would be as irrational to each, but one 

 suppose that the oxigen and hidrogen pass through the °"'^ collected, 

 connecting wire in opposite directions, as it would to assert, 

 that in the common experiment they pervade the voltaic 

 battery, and the wires at its extremities. 



Mr. Anderson however states, that, when he first repeat- This supposed 

 ed this experiment, he thought it necessary to adopt the coniradictonr 



, . . J >^i -i- /• <M *o thecompo- 



above opinion, or deny the composition ot water. Suspect- sition of water. 



ing afterwards there might be a positive and negative point 

 in each vessel, he arranges an apparatus, and finds his con- 

 jecture verified ; but these opposite states were at the ex- 

 tremities of the same metallic wire, and how is this 

 effected ? 



Mr. Anderson has given an explanation, which supposes The oppesit* 

 the positive electricity tcTpass from the zinc side of the bat- ^ ^ "*^Id*^ 

 tery through the water to the remote end of the connecting pass through 

 wire ; and the negative electricity to proceed also from the ^1^^*^™^ w»i«! 

 copper extremity to the remote and opposite end of this 

 wire. According to this supposition, the positive must pass 

 through the negative, or the negative through the positive, 

 without restoring an equilibrium; though they are acknow- 

 ledged to have a strong attraction for each other, and to be 

 respectively of equal intensity. Such an idea is at variance but thiscon- 

 with every thing we know of electrical action ; it is not sup- receJTed^^"^' 

 ported by any of the analogies of the science ; nor is it a theory of 



legitimate ^l^^^^'<^'^y- 



