﻿On the Mechanism of Electrical Conduction. 55 



the less viscous metals and increases with the period in other 

 metals. According to the above theory this is due to the 

 fact that a given state of stress is continued longer, so that 

 the molecular configurations have more opportunity to break 

 down. 



If the theory were pushed to the extreme in its application 

 to Wiedemann's results on torsion and set above quoted, we 

 should find that 0=2400, and that the couple necessary for 

 zero resilience was fully double the maximum couple em- 

 ployed by Wiedemann (that corresponding to = 1725). 



Various deductions might be drawn from the theory in 

 connexion with the observed values of the constants in the 

 empirical equations. I do not think that such deductions 

 would be of any value except in connexion with a much wider 

 experimental basis than that furnished above. I hope soon to 

 be able to communicate the results of further observations. 



IV. On the Mechanism of Electrical Conduction. — Part I. 

 Conduction in Metals. By Charles V. Burton, JD.Sc* 



1. rTTJELE view of electrical conduction which it is here my 

 _L object to explain receives general support from 

 more than one consideration ; for it leads to the conclusion 

 that deviations from Ohm's Law must be quite inappreciable 

 in the case of metallic conductors, and it goes far to explain, 

 I think, why metals are so much less opaque than thei, 

 ordinary conductivities would lead us to infer. But it is no, 

 alone on such considerations that we have to rely, for, as i 

 seems to me, the main conclusions are capable of exact demon- 

 stration ; and accordingly it would appear most convenient to 

 commence with a few simple theorems, seeking afterwards to 

 account for known phenomena by means of our definite results. 



2. Theorem I. 



In a region containing mattery there may be {and probably 

 ahvays are) some parts which are perfect insulators and, some 

 parts which are perfect conductors ; but there can be no parts 

 whose conductivity is finite — unless every finitely conductive 

 portion is enclosed by a perfectly conductive envelope. 



Before proceeding to the proof of this theorem, it may be 

 remarked that the presence of the last clause in no way 

 modifies any application of our result, since the space within 

 a perfectly conductive envelope is completely shielded from 



* Communicated by the Physical Society : read April 13, 1894. 



