512 Sir W. Snow Harris on the Correct Interpretation 



equal and successive quantities of electricity communicated to 

 the electrical jar ; and the total rectangular space ABCD 

 may stand for, and represent the total charge. Now, since 

 the force between the coatings continually decreases (9) as the 

 force through the external circuit increases, therefore these forces 

 may be represented by any magnitude supposed to flow, and at 

 the same time continually increase or decrease. Let therefore 

 the line A C move forward parallel to itself as before, and con- 

 tinually decrease by the linear magnitudes e h, fi, g k, BD) which 

 are proportional to the lines Ae, Af Ag, A B, that is to the 

 respective quantities of electricity C e, Cf Cg,C B), and so gene- 

 rate the triangular space ADC, which may stand for and repre- 

 sent the total force in the direction of the coatings up to the 

 point D, where it vanishes in explosive discharge. Similarly let 

 the extremity A of the line C A flow and gradually increase by 

 the same proportional lines e h, fi, g k, B D, generating the tri- 

 angular space A B D, which may stand for and represent the total 

 force in the direction of the circuit up to the same point of ex- 

 plosion D. This being understood, we may observe that the first 

 quantity accumulated being represented by the space Ce, the force 

 in the direction of the coatings will be represented by the rectili- 

 near space C h, and the force in the direction of the external circuit 

 (that is, the electrometer indication) by the triangular space A eh. 

 Similarly a double quantity of charge will be represented by the 

 double space C/= twice C e ; the force in the direction of the coat- 

 ings by the rectilinear space C i; and the force in the direction of 

 the external circuit by the triangular space Afi } and so on. But 

 the triangles A eh, Afi are to each other as the square of A e 

 to the square of Af; and since Af is double of A e, these trian- 

 gular spaces are as 4 : 1. In the same way it may be shown 

 that the triangles Agk, A eh are as 9 : 1, and so on. Now, as 

 these triangles stand for and represent the force through the 

 external circuit, that is to say, the respective electrometer in- 

 dications, whilst the sides Ae, Af Ag, &c. are proportional 

 to the respective accumulations C e, Cf &c, we see that the 

 force in the direction of the circuit is (all other things remaining 

 the same) directly proportional to the square of the quantity 

 accumulating. It is easy to see by the diagram that the 

 decrements of force upon each added quantity will be as the 

 rectilinear spaces C h, mi, nk,ok D, whilst the increasing force 

 in the direction of the circuit will be represented by the trian- 

 gular spaces A e h, Afi, Agk, A B D. 



14. In like manner let the lines A e, Af, Ag, &c. stand for the 

 intervals, or explosive distances between the balls of the Lane's 

 discharger, L, fig. 7, which the force in the direction of the 

 external circuit can break through, the increasing force being 





