[ 521 ] 



LX. The Action of the Electric Discharge on Gases and 

 Vapours. By C. Ludeking, Ph.D., Leipsic*. 



1HAVE during the past year made a number of experi- 

 ments on the action of the electric discharge, as fur- 

 nished by a Kuhmkorff coil, on gases and vapours of various 

 substances for the purpose of establishing, if possible, whether 

 or not electrolysis takes place. 



There is a qualitative difference in the products of decom- 

 position that collect at the poles, so far as experiment enables 

 us to determine. 



The apparatus that I used in the examination of water- 

 vapour was suggested by Prof. E. Wiedemann, of Erlangen, 

 and may be briefly described as follows : — 



A flask, A, capable of holding nearly 1J litres, is filled up to 

 the neck with distilled water that has been boiled for 15 minutes 

 immediately previous to the experiment. It is furnished with 

 a singly perforated good cork, carrying a large tube of 8 

 millim. internal diameter, which serves to conduct the vapour 

 from the flask into the sparking-tube, C ; this tube is also 

 8 millim. in internal diameter. The two delivery-tubes 

 passing from it are 60 millim. apart. The vapour coming 

 from the flask A divides, in tube C, into two currents, which 

 pass out by the delivery-tubes. The electrodes consist of 

 copper wire 3 J millim. thick ; they have flat polished ends, 

 and are inserted into the tube C gas-tight by means of rubber 

 stoppers, an arrangement that permits of their being set at 

 various distances from one another. They are placed in such 

 positions that they are located in currents of vapour travelling 

 in opposite directions, as will be easily understood. By this 

 means it is possible to ascertain whether or not there is a 

 difference in the gases separated out at the poles, for these 



* Communicated by the Author. 



