208 A. S. Thayer—Polarization of the Plates of Condensers. 
indicate that the rate of dissipation is in no respect related to 
the size of the flame. 
. 4.—The end of the wire connected with the quadrant 
the gas turned on without being lighted. The spot of light 
ad no movement, and gave no sign of any loss of electricity 
by the quadrant. An artificial current of’ air across the wire 
point likewise had no effect in dissipating the charge. 
Exp. 5 i 
ciently electrify the quadrant so as to produce any deflection 
of the spot of light. 
_, Map. 2.—Place the wire point in the flame and then hold 
the electrified vuleanite plate up to the flame as before. The } 
spot of light immediately is violently deflected, indicating the 
presence of electricity in the quadrant. This change, however, | 
is soon dissipated by the flame, and the spot quickly returns to 
the zero point. 
These last experiments seem to indicate that the flame has 
a much greater attraction for the electricity of the vulcanite 
plate than the copper point of the wire. Hence the difficulty 
of charging the quadrant in the first experiment. 
hen, however, the wire is in direct communication with the 
flame, as in the second experiment, the flame and the quadrant 
are at the same potential, and the increase of electricity in the 
flame produces a corresponding deflection of the spot of light. 
No. XIV.—Polarization of the Plates of Condensers; by A. S. 
THAYER. 
. 
It is well known that in polarization batteries, of which 
Planté’s battery is a type, a combination of the ions, resulting 
from electrolysis, takes place when the plates of the battery are 
connected, and a current results which slowly diminishes 10 
