2 
Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
Some Electrical Measurements on Metals. By Charles 
E. Fawsitt, D.Sc., Pli.D. Communicated by Professor A. 
Crum Brown. 
(MS. received November 7, 1905. Read November 20, 1905.) 
There are many isolated records of facts showing that the 
physical properties of (pure) metals alter when the metals are 
subjected to hammering, rolling, heat-treatment, and other 
processes. 
Somewhat recently Beilby has shown * that the differences in 
all the various states of metals are explained by the fact that 
solids exhibit two distinct phases : these are the amorphous or 
vitreous, and the crystalline. The properties of a metal in any 
given state are due to the metal being made up either of one or 
other of these phases, or both. 
The amorphous or vitreous quality is produced by the various 
processes of “working” a metal; such are hammering, rolling, 
forging, or polishing. The crystalline condition is obtained by 
heat-treatment or annealing. 
The difference in the physical properties between a metal in 
the crystalline, and the same metal in the vitreous condition, is 
often very great, and it appeared to me that it might be worth 
while to examine the difference in potential which the two phases 
of a metal have, when placed in an electrolyte. 
When two metals are placed in an electrolyte, their potential 
with regard to the electrolyte is in general different, and the 
electro-motive force of the cell is easily measured. The E.M.F. of 
such a cell is given by the expression 
where T is the absolute temperature, n Y and n 2 the valency of the 
metals in the ionic condition, P x and P 2 the solution pressure of 
the two metals, and p Y and p 2 the osmotic pressure of the ions of 
the two metals. If the solution pressure of two different phases 
* The Electro -Chemist ancl Metallurgist , 1904, ]>. 806. 
