FARADAY, MICHAEL..

Experimental Researches in Electricity. - Seventh Series. § 11. On Electro-chemical Decomposition, continued. iv. On some general conditions of Electro-decompositions. v. On a new Measure of Volta-electricity. vi. On the primitive or swecondary character of bodies evolved in Electr-decomposition. vii. On the definite nature and extent of Electro-chemicall Decompositions. § 13. (§ 12 was issued in the Sixth Series). On the absolute quantity of Electricity associated with the particles or atoms of Matter. (Sections 661-874). Received January 9, - Read January 23, february 6 and 13, 1834.

(London, Richard Taylor, 1834). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from "Philosophical Transactions" 1834 - Part I. Pp. 77-122. Fine and clean.

First appearance of this milestone paper in which Faraday announces the discoveries of further laws of electrochemistry, stating the general relations of electricity to chemistry and introducing new terms with precise meanings. The first part of the paper introduces his new terminology, giving the words a limited and precise meaning. These words, devised with the assistance of William Whewell, are now familiar to all chemists, electrode, anode, cathode, ion, anion, and cation. He also introduces the "Volta-electrometer", and arrives at the "Law of electro-chemical equivalents". The paper offered is one of Farday's most famous papers.

"Another section of the paper is devoted to a closer examination of the law of constant electrochemical action with respect to water and to the development of a gas electrometer to measure quantities of electricity. Faraday's "Volta-electrometer" provided the first practical means for the quantitative measurement of electricity." (Source Book in Chemistry p. 280-81).

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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