Unstriated Discharge and in the Arc, 



281 



only the second term in the above equation, and since fi and 

 h are independent o£ the current and n x is approximately 

 proportional to it, this term is also approximately proportional 

 to the current, and as an approximate equation we may write 



N=i9n 1 Soci (4) 



This conclusion that the rate of recombination is pro- 

 portional to the first power of the current is quite in 

 harmony with the facts to which attention has been called. 



The explanation may then be summarized as follows. On 

 account of the great velocity of the electrons approximately 

 all of the current is carried by them. The great majority 

 of recombinations are those of positive ions with molecular 

 negative ions, and the rate of such recombinations varies as 

 the number of electrons present, and consequently as the first 

 power of the current. 



Explanation of the Relation between Electric Force, 

 Density of the Gas, and Amount of Current. 



We may now go a step further and consider the relation 

 between the electric force in the discharge and the density 

 of the gas. It has been found that the electric force is 

 a linear function of the density, increasing as the density 

 increases, but that it does not approach zero when the density 

 approaches zero, To account for this the following may be 

 suggested. If we assume that the ionization is caused by 

 impact, the relation between these quantities must be one 



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Density. 



similar to that shown in fig. 1. 



that we are also assuming that the discharge is carried 



Possibly one shod 



dd 



