NDEXEL 



THE /%? 



LONDON, EDINBURGH, and DUBLIN 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE 



AND 



JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



[SIXTH 

 FEBRUARY 19( 



XI. On the Electron Theory of Matter and on Radiation. 

 By G. A. Schott, B.A., B.Sc, University College of Wales. 

 Aberysticyth*. 



§ 1. /^VNE of the most important problems of the Electron 

 \J Theory of Matter is to account for the spectra 

 emitted by the several elements ; the solution of this problem, 

 rather than of any other, seems likely to lead to the con- 

 struction of a working model of the atom. By Electron 

 Theory of Matter I mean any theory which assumes matter 

 to consist of electrical charges, acting upon each other with 

 electromagnetic forces only. For stability it is necessary to 

 have both positive and negative charges, and one or both 

 must be in more or less rapid motion. Since the atom is 

 permanent, or very nearly so, the orbits of all the charges 

 must be closed and of atomic dimensions ; since it is elec- 

 trically neutral, except when ionized, positive and negative 

 charges must be present in equal amount. There is no need 

 at present to distinguish between the two possible alterna- 

 tives : (1) the positive electricity constitutes a sphere of 

 uniform electrification of atomic size, the negative electricity 

 exists as corpuscles (negative electrons) moving inside the 

 positive sphere (J. J. Thomson) ; (2) both positive and nega- 

 tive electricity exist as discrete charges — electrons — moving in 

 closed orbits of atomic size. The following discussion applies 

 to both types of theory, except where special exception is 

 made. 



* Communicated by the Author. 



Phil. Map. S. 6. Vol. 13. No. 74. Feb. 1907. P 



