﻿Molecules 
  of 
  the 
  Elements 
  and 
  their 
  Compounds. 
  33 
  

  

  .should 
  be 
  noted 
  that 
  by 
  carefully 
  manipulating 
  the 
  spheres 
  

   with 
  a 
  glass 
  rod 
  held 
  in 
  the 
  hand 
  while 
  they 
  are 
  charged, 
  it 
  

   is 
  possible 
  to 
  alter 
  the 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  figures 
  and 
  

   produce 
  alternative 
  configurations 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  number 
  

   of 
  spheres. 
  With 
  four 
  spheres 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  produce 
  two 
  

   figures, 
  one 
  a 
  square, 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  an 
  equilateral 
  triangle 
  

   with 
  one 
  sphere 
  at 
  the 
  centre 
  (no 
  photograph 
  of 
  this 
  was 
  

   secured), 
  and 
  each 
  arrangement 
  is 
  in 
  perfect 
  equilibrium. 
  

   "With 
  five 
  spheres 
  either 
  a 
  pentagon 
  or 
  a 
  square 
  with 
  one 
  at 
  

   the 
  centre 
  is 
  obtained. 
  There 
  are 
  two 
  alternative 
  figures 
  

   obtained 
  with 
  six 
  also, 
  only 
  one 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  shown 
  in 
  this 
  

   figure. 
  A 
  complete 
  description 
  of 
  this 
  interesting 
  case 
  is 
  

   given 
  below 
  *. 
  

  

  Being 
  temporarily 
  obliged 
  to 
  use 
  some 
  arrangement 
  

   whereby 
  the 
  power 
  could 
  be 
  applied 
  continuously, 
  or 
  in 
  such 
  

   rapid 
  succession 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  effect 
  continuous, 
  a 
  different 
  

   form 
  of 
  synchronous 
  motor 
  and 
  contact-maker 
  was 
  devised 
  

   by 
  which 
  the 
  condenser 
  is 
  charged 
  and 
  discharged 
  at 
  each 
  

   cvcle 
  of 
  the 
  alternating 
  power. 
  A 
  heavier 
  sphere 
  than 
  

   heretofore 
  was 
  used, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  fine 
  copper 
  wire 
  could 
  be 
  

   employed. 
  Lead 
  buck-shot 
  were 
  tried, 
  but 
  the 
  difficulty 
  of 
  

   making 
  them 
  equal 
  in 
  weight 
  and 
  size 
  prevented 
  their 
  use. 
  

   It 
  is 
  very 
  important 
  to 
  employ 
  spheres 
  as 
  nearly 
  equal 
  as 
  

   possible. 
  A 
  steel 
  ball 
  '794 
  cm. 
  diameter, 
  such 
  as 
  is 
  used 
  for 
  

   ball-bearings, 
  was 
  next 
  tried 
  and 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  satisfactory. 
  

   The 
  reason 
  for 
  not 
  employing 
  them 
  earlier 
  was 
  the 
  fear 
  that 
  

   their 
  magnetic 
  effect 
  might 
  introduce 
  additional 
  difficulty, 
  

   but 
  this 
  did 
  not 
  prove 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  case. 
  With 
  these 
  larger 
  

   spheres 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  employ 
  higher 
  voltage 
  to 
  maintain 
  

   the 
  distances 
  between 
  the 
  spheres 
  large 
  compared 
  with 
  their 
  

   diameter. 
  The 
  available 
  alternating 
  potential 
  was 
  not 
  great 
  

   enough 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  figure 
  of 
  sufficient 
  size. 
  The 
  potential 
  

   might 
  have 
  been 
  increased 
  by 
  additional 
  transformers, 
  but 
  

   the 
  liability 
  of 
  putting 
  undue 
  strain 
  upon 
  the 
  insulation 
  of 
  

   the 
  transformers 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  increased 
  danger 
  in 
  working 
  

   with 
  the 
  apparatus, 
  decided 
  against 
  the 
  plan. 
  Hence, 
  the 
  

   synchronous 
  contact-maker 
  and 
  condenser 
  were 
  employed. 
  

   It 
  was 
  found 
  that 
  with 
  the 
  contact-maker 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  

   deflexion 
  obtained 
  when 
  a 
  silk-fibre 
  suspension 
  was 
  used, 
  

   but 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  much 
  greater 
  when 
  wire 
  was 
  substituted 
  for 
  

   the 
  fibre. 
  The 
  charge 
  was 
  thus 
  shown 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  mixture 
  of 
  

   alternating 
  and 
  direct 
  potential, 
  and 
  it 
  seems 
  probable 
  that 
  

   there 
  was 
  a 
  high 
  frequency 
  charge 
  and 
  discharge 
  of 
  the 
  

   condenser 
  with 
  each 
  spark, 
  though 
  no 
  direct 
  measurement 
  of 
  

   this 
  was 
  made. 
  

  

  * 
  See 
  page 
  83. 
  

   Phil. 
  Mag. 
  S. 
  6. 
  Vol. 
  26. 
  No. 
  151. 
  July 
  1013. 
  D 
  

  

  