1899-1900.] Thermo-electric Properties of Liquid Mercury. 15 
On the Thermo-electric Properties of Solid and Liquid 
Mercury. By Dr W. Peddie and A. B. Shand, Esq. 
(Read January 8, 1900.) 
{Abstract.) 
By means of a large quantity of solid carbonic acid, obtained 
from the University Chemical Laboratory, it was found possible to 
solidify, and maintain in the solid form for a considerable time, a 
large mass of mercury. Preliminary experiments made about a 
year ago, in the usual manner, by means of a triple circuit (iron, 
german silver, mercury), did not give results of a satisfactory kind. 
This was apparently due to the difficulty of maintaining steady, or 
steadily varying, temperatures. 
Having obtained another supply of carbonic acid about a month 
ago, the authors made a second attempt. A single iron-mercury 
circuit waa used, and junction temperatures were found by means 
of iron german-silver thermo-electric circuits. Very much better 
results were got ; and the same arrangement was used to determine, 
relatively to iron, the thermo-electric position of the mercury when 
in the liquid state. 
The thermo-electric line of the solid metal seems to be very 
nearly, if not absolutely, continuous with that of the liquid. It 
intersects the line of 0° C. at a point a little helow the inter- 
section of that line by the copper line. It is fairly parallel to the 
iron line, but intersects it at a point corresponding roughly to the 
temperature —550° C. 
Uo more definite details are given at present, as the authors 
intend to repeat the experiment in such a way that the tempera- 
tures of the hot and cold junctions can be read simultaneously. 
In this way they hope to arrive at a very accurate result. 
