216 Prof. L. T. More on the 



of the cathode particles could be changed, it might be that 

 this change in velocity would alter the electric charge 

 deposited on an obstacle. 



As an hypothesis, I propose that, in order to make the 



ratio — agree with the experimental evidence of its value 



and to account for electromagnetic mass, we consider m to 

 be the mass of a particle of matter in the Newtonian sense, 

 of constant and small value, and e, the electrical charge, to be 

 a force attribute of matter which varies with the velocity of 

 the particle. 



However novel this hypothesis may be, T have not been 

 able to find any experimental facts more difficult to explain 

 by it than by any of the other hypotheses which have been 

 recently advanced ; and, on the other hand, it apparently 

 accounts for much of the modern work in terms of the older 

 and well-established ideas. 



1. Since the quantities, e and m, occur in all cases only in 

 the form of a simple ratio, either a priori may be considered 

 the variable. 



2. From Kaufmann's experiments e/m decreases as the 

 velocity of the electron increases. This is satisfied if we 

 assume that the electric charge has a maximum value for an 

 electron at rest which decreases with increasing velocity 

 until it attains a value of zero at the velocity of light. 



3. The decrease in the value of e does not become notice- 

 able until a velocity comparable to that of light is reached. 



4. This hypothesis supports the theoretical value and 

 experimental ideas of electromagnetic mass. 



5. At zero velocity matter would retain its mechanical 

 inertia and electric charge, which permits the function U 

 to have a finite value while T and | G | both vanish. 



6. Electrical conductivity increases with diminishing tem- 

 perature and attains a large value at the absolute zero. 

 This squares with the hypothesis that the electrical charge of 

 matter increases with decreasing velocity. 



7. If e becomes zero with the velocity of light, it is 

 evident that the deflexions by a magnetic or electric field 

 would be zero. 



8. We are not compelled to assume an infinite momentum 

 for a body moving with a finite velocity. 



9. The difference between positive and negative electricity 

 can still be ascribed to the nature of the orbital motion of 

 the electron. 



From the very nature of my conception of the limits 

 which should be imposed on scientific inquiry, I make no 



