FARADAY, MICHAEL..

Experimental Researches in Electricity. - Eight Series. § 14. On the Electricity of the Voltaic Plate; its source, quantity, intensity, and general Characters. i. On simple Voltaic Circles. ii. On the intensity necessary for Electrolyzation. iii. On associated Voltaic Circles, or the Voltaic Battery. iv. On the resistance of an Electrolyte to Electrolytic action. v. General remarks on the actove Battery. (Sections 875-1047). Received April 7, - Read June 5, 1834.

(London, Richard Taylor, 1834). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from "Philosophical Transactions" 1834 - Part II. Pp. 425-470 a. 1 engraved plate. Clean and fine.

First appearance of a historical paper in chemistry and physiscs in which Faraday brings forth the idea "that the atoms of matter are in some way endowed or associated with electrical powers, to which they owe their most striking qualities, and amongst them their mutual chemical affinity." He showed how natural it is to suppose that the electricity which passes through the electrolyte is exact equivaklent of that which is possessed by the atoms separated at the electrode: which implies that there is A CERTAIN ABSOLUTE QUANTITY OF THE ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATED WITH EACH ATOM OF MATTER.- Faraday further verifies, that the electricity of the violtaic pile is proportionate in its intensity to the intensity of the affinities concerned in its production. - Dealing with the the decompositions in electrolysis, he shows that THE FORCES TERMED CHEMICAL AFFINITY AND ELECTRICITY ARE THE SAME.

From 1831 to 1852 Michael Faraday published his "Experimental Researches in Electricity" in The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. These papers contain not only an impressive series of experimental discoveries, but also a collection of heterodox theoretical concepts on the nature of these phenomena expressed in terms of lines of forces and fields. He published 30 papers in all under this general title.They represents Faraday's most importent work, are classics in both chemistry and physics and are the experimental foundations for Maxwell's electro-magnetic theory of light, using Faraday's concepts of lines of force or tubes of magnetic and electrical forces. His many experiments on the effects of electricity and magnetism presented in these papers lead to the fundamental discoveries of 'induced electricity' (the Farday current), the electronic state of matter, the identity of electricity from different sources, equivalents in electro-chemical decomposition, electrostatic induction, hydro-electricity, diamagnetism, relation of gravity to electricity, atmospheric magnetism and many other.

"Among experimental philosophers Faraday holds by universal consent the foremost place. The memoirs in which his discoveries are enshrined will never ceaseto be read with admiration and delight; and future generations will preserve with an affection not less enduring the personal records and familiar letters, which recall the memory of his humble and unselfish spirit."(Edmund Whittaker in A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity).

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