102 Experimental Researches in Electricity. 



of power having contrary forces^ exactly equal in amount^ 

 in contrary directions'^ This remarkable, and when once 

 thoroughly comprehended, most distinct definition, ought to 

 be carefully reflected upon, since unless it is understood and 

 impressed upon the mind, it is scarcely possible to follow 

 Faraday's views. 



We have here arrived at the point where the theory of 

 electro-chemical decomposition is entered upon, and we will 

 endeavour to develope it as simply and distinctly as we 

 possibly can. It has already been stated, that nearly all who 

 have speculated on the subject, have conceived the power 

 producing decomposition to be external to the substance 

 decomposed, in other words, to be resident in the metallic 

 terminations of the electric circuit. According to Faraday, 

 however, the effect of decomposition on any substance, is 

 produced by an internal corpuscular action in that substance, 

 exerted according to the direction of the electric current, 

 and is due to a force either superadded to, or giving direc- 

 tion to the ordinary chemical affinity of the bodies present. 

 " The body under decomposition," he remarks, " may be 

 considered as a mass of acting particles, all those which are 

 in the course of the electric current contributing to the final 

 eflPect ; and it is because the ordinary chemical affinity is re- 

 lieved, weakened, or partly neutralised by the influence of 

 the electric current in one direction parallel to the course of 

 the latter, and strengthened or added to in the opposite di- 

 rection, that the combining particles have a tendency to pass 

 in opposite courses." 



In this view the effect is considered as essentially depen- 

 dent upon the mutual chemical affinity of the particles of 



opposite kinds. Particles a, «, could not 

 be transferred or travel from one pole 

 I/I, towards the other P, unless they found 

 particles of the opposite kind b, b, ready to pass in the con- 



Fig. 1. 



a * " & 

 Oo 0 O 



l/l P 



