140 



Lord Rayleigk. 



[June 15? 



form of the phenomenon is not by any means the best calculated to 

 render evident the smallest electrical forces. As was shown in my 

 former paper, it is far surpassed by colliding jets, between which a 

 difference of potential may be established, a subject to which we shall 

 return in § 5. It is possible, however, to experiment upon the 

 collision of two distinct streams of drops, which are differently, — if we 

 please, oppositely — electrified from the first. Apart from electrical 

 influence, the collision of such streams presents points of interest 

 which have been made subject of examination. 



Two similar brass nozzles, terminating in apertures about ^ 6 inch 

 in diameter, were supplied from the same reservoir of water, and 

 were held so that the jets rising obliquely from them were in the 

 same plane and crossed each other at a moderate angle. The jets 

 were resolved into regular series of drops by the action of a 256 fork 

 screwed to the table and set in action by bowing. The periodic 

 phenomenon thus established could be examined with facility by 

 intermittent vision through a revolving perforated disk (§ 2), so 

 arranged that about 256 holes passed the eye per second. 









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When the angle of collision is small, the disposition of the files of 

 drops may be made such that they rebound without crossing, fig. 3 ; 

 more often, however, the drops shoulder their way through after 

 one or more collisions, somewhat as in fig. 4. In both cases the 



presentation of an electrified body to one place of resolution will 

 determine the amalgamation of colliding drops, with of course com- 

 plete alteration of the subsequent behaviour. By judicious manage- 

 ment a feebly electrified body may be held in an intermediate position 



