﻿Decomposition 
  of 
  Hydrogen 
  Peroxide 
  hy 
  Light. 
  43 
  

  

  been 
  very 
  briefly 
  described 
  by 
  Dowries 
  and 
  Blunt*, 
  the 
  

   author 
  has 
  been 
  unable 
  to 
  find 
  any 
  account 
  of 
  a 
  more 
  varied 
  

   examination 
  of 
  this 
  effect. 
  The 
  details 
  of 
  these 
  experiments 
  

   are 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  Appendix. 
  The 
  results 
  would 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  

   some 
  importance 
  in 
  considering 
  any 
  chemical 
  action 
  of 
  

   hydrogen 
  peroxide. 
  The 
  other 
  experiments 
  were 
  undertaken 
  

   to 
  investigate 
  whether 
  a 
  surface 
  of 
  hydrogen 
  peroxide 
  under- 
  

   going 
  this 
  decomposition 
  is 
  capable 
  of 
  discharging 
  electrifica- 
  

   tion 
  or 
  not 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  a 
  water 
  surface. 
  Experiments 
  

   were 
  made 
  with 
  the 
  surface 
  both 
  positively 
  and 
  negatively 
  

   electrified. 
  No 
  clear 
  indications 
  were 
  obtained 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  

   positive 
  electrification, 
  so 
  the 
  experiments 
  are 
  not 
  given 
  ; 
  

   but 
  evidence 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  negative 
  electrification 
  seems 
  

   definite. 
  

  

  Description 
  of 
  Experiments 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  a 
  surface 
  of 
  Hydrogen 
  

  

  Peroxide 
  exposed 
  to 
  Sunshine 
  in 
  the 
  open 
  air 
  loses 
  a 
  Negative 
  

  

  charge 
  of 
  Electricity 
  more 
  rapidly 
  than 
  a 
  Water 
  surface. 
  

  

  In 
  these 
  experiments 
  a 
  shallow 
  dish 
  containing 
  H 
  2 
  2 
  or 
  

  

  water 
  was 
  placed 
  on 
  an 
  insulating 
  support. 
  Over 
  the 
  centre 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  dish 
  a 
  horizontal 
  piece 
  of 
  wire 
  gauze 
  permanently 
  

  

  Fig. 
  1. 
  

  

  n 
  is 
  the 
  dish 
  ; 
  ah, 
  insulating 
  stand 
  ; 
  qq, 
  wire 
  cage 
  ; 
  

   r, 
  tin-coated 
  box 
  ; 
  p, 
  wire 
  gauze. 
  

  

  connected 
  to 
  the 
  earth 
  was 
  fixed, 
  the 
  whole 
  being 
  screened 
  

   electrically 
  by 
  being 
  surrounded 
  with 
  a 
  wire 
  cage 
  and 
  box 
  

   coated 
  with 
  tinfoil. 
  This 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  apparatus 
  was 
  arranoed 
  

   on 
  a 
  shelf 
  outside 
  a 
  window 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  house. 
  

   The 
  general 
  arrangement 
  is 
  shown 
  diagrammatically 
  in 
  fiV. 
  1. 
  

   * 
  i 
  Nature,' 
  xx. 
  p. 
  521. 
  

  

  