of the Electric Resistance of Liquids. 135 
resistance as determined by the galvanometer, as will be seen, 
increased in the earlier experiments 30 to 40 per cent, during 
the three minutes' electrification. 
The total electromotive force in each case was determined 
by making a comparison by means of the electrometer with 
one of Clark's standard cells. 
From these observations the following conclusions may be 
drawn: — First, the resistance measured, by the galvanometer 
is much greater when using about 1 volt than when using 
nearly 2, at the same temperature (compare observations A 
and B), whereas the electrometer-measurements altered very 
little at all. Again, comparing C and D, we see that the 
resistance measured by the galvanometer is much greater 
when using 6 volts than when using 16. In this case, how- 
ever, the measurements of the electrometer are also consider- 
ably greater in the first case than in the second, the tempera- 
ture being the same. Secondly, if the electromotive force is 
less than the decomposing electromotive force, then the smaller 
it is the more does the resistance alter from one to two minutes' 
electrification, and from two to three minutes'. Whenever, 
however, the electromotive force is sufficiently high for decom- 
position to take place, the electrification seems to produce but 
little change in the resistance. The resistance of the water 
diminishes as the temperature rises, the electromotive force 
being kept constant. 
The following experiments were made preliminarily to ex- 
plorations of the region between the two platinum plates in 
the water, for determining what were the directions of the 
lines of flow of current. We desired to see if there was any 
chance of being able to use platinum wires in glass tubes con- 
nected with the electrometer, as previously described. 
In the following cases a long trough of water was used 
instead of the beaker. 
The sensibility of the galvanometer was nearly the same 
throughout all the experiments, and was such that ■£§ of 
the whole electromotive force employed produced a deflection 
of about 500 divisions when there was an external resistance 
of 10,000 ohms and when the multiplying-power of the shunt 
employed was 100*7, which shunt was used throughout all the 
experiments. 
Four Menotti cells, having an electromotive force of 3*7 
volts, were employed in each of the following experiments. 
In A, B, C, D, E, F, and Gr the two platinum plates were 
placed parallel to one another at a distance of 90 centimetres 
apart. The two wires and their glass tubes were placed to 
commence at a distance of 80 centim. — that is, each being 
5 centim. from the platinum plate. The lower ends of the 
