FARADAY, MICHAEL. - THE "LAW OF ELECTRO-CHEMICAL EQUIVALENTS", THE GERMAN VERSION.

Sechste Reihe von Experimental-Untersuchungen über Elektricität. (564-660) + Siebente Reihe von Experimental-Untersuchungen über Elektricität. (661-874)

Leipzig, Barth, 1834. Contemp. hcalf., raised bands, spine gilt. Spine with light wear. in. "Annalen der Physik und Chemie. J.C. Poggendorff", Zweite reine, 3. bd.VIII,558,(4) pp. and 5 plates. (Entire volume offerd). Faradays papers: pp. 149-189 (Sixth series) + pp. 301-331 a. 481-520 (Seventh series). Internally clean and fine, printed on good paper.

First appearance in German - prepared by Faraday himself for publication in Annalen - of 2 historical papers in chemistry and physiscs in which Faraday in the first detects a new recombination-effect in electrolysis and in the second we have the 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).

The Sixth series: "In the course of his experimental investigations of a general and importent law of electro-chemical action, which required the accurate measurement of thegases evolved during the decomposition of water and other substances, the author was lead to the detection of a curious effect, which had never been previously noticed, and of which the knowledge, had he before possessed it, would have prevented many of the errors and inconsistencies occurring in the conclusions he at first deduced from his earlier experiments. The phenomena observed was the gradual recombination of elements which had been previously separated from each other by voltaic action. This happened when, after water had been decomposed by voltaic electricity, the mixed gases resulting from such decomposition were left in contact with the platina wires or plates, which had acted as poles; for under these circumstances they gradually diminished in vo.umes, water was reprioduced, and at lust the whole of the gases disappeared."(Abstract) - Faraday explains the causes of this recombination.

Order-nr.: 49065