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On Electrical Properties of Fumes proceeding from Flames and Burning Charcoal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2014

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Extract

§ 1. Many experimenters have investigated the electrical properties of flames and incandescent solids. The methods usually employed have been (1) to examine the electric conductivity of different parts of the flame; (2) to measure the difference of potential between platinum wires in different positions in the same flame; (3) to find the leakage of a charged conductor when placed near, or in view of, a flame or an incandescent solid; (4) to observe the leakage of a conductor, raised to a red or white heat, by an electric current, and electrically charged; and (5) to observe the production of electrification or diselectrification by a glowing wire, through which a current is passing, in neighbouring insulated conductors separated from it by different gases.

§ 2. This short communication divides itself into three separate inquiries: 〈1〉 to test by one of our electric filters the electric quality of the fumes from different flames and burnings (this method has not, we believe, been tried before); (2) to observe the difference of potential maintained between two wires of the same metal connected with a copper plate and a zinc plate when the fumes from different flames and burnings at different distances from the plates passed between them and round them; and 〈3〉 to observe the leakage between two parallel metal plates with any difference of electric potential when the fumes from flames and burnings were allowed to pass between them.

Type
Proceedings
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1897

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References

page 313 note * Account of experiments in Wiedemann's, Lehre von der Elektricität,” vol. iv. B. Carl's Rep., xvii. pp. 269294, 1881Google Scholar. Thomson, J. J., Phil. Mag., pp. 358, 441, 1890Google Scholar.

page 313 note † Hankel, , Phil. Mag., p. 542, December 1851Google Scholar; Phil. Mag., p. 9, January 1860Google ScholarPubMed. Elster, and Geitel, , Wied. Ann., vol. xvi., 1882Google Scholar; also Phil. Mag., September 1882. Maclean, and Goto, , Phil. Mag., August 1890Google Scholar.

page 313 note ‡ Guthrie, , Phil. Mag., p. 308, April 1873Google Scholar. Giese, , Wied. Ann., vol. xvii., 1882Google Scholar; Worthington, , “On the Discharge of Electrification by Flames,” Brit. Assoc. Report, 1889, pp. 225227Google Scholar; Schuster, Lecture Royal Institution, February 22, 1895.

page 313 note § Guthrie, , Phil. Mag., p. 237, October 1873Google Scholar.

page 313 note ∥ Elster, and Geitel, , Wied. Ann., xxxvii. p. 315, 1889CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Elster, and Geitel, , Wied. Ann., xxxviii. p. 27, 1889CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

page 313 note ¶ Kelvin, , Maclean, , Galt, , “Electrification and Diselectrification of Air,” Proceedings of the Royal Society, London, vol. lvii., February and March 1895Google Scholar; also B. A. Report 1895.

page 317 note * In a paper on “Electrification of Air by Combustion,” by Magnus Maclean and Makita Goto, communicated to the Philosophical Society of Glasgow on November 20, 1889, is a statement of results of many observations to find the potential to which the insulated quadrant of a quadrant electrometer is raised when in metallic connection with various kinds of flames and fires. It is there said: “The effect of an ordinary lucifer match is very interesting. While the match is burning with a flame the deflection indicates positive electrification; but after the flame ceases the electrification becomes negative, the effect now being that of glowing charcoal.” The following table is quoted from that paper. In some cases the burnings lasted so short a time that quantitative determinations of the potential were not obtained. I t is conceivable that all of the complementary opposite electricity separated from that which went to the electrometer in those experiments went to uninsulated solids in the neighbourhood. The experiments described in the text demonstrate that some of it was lodged in the air and fumes proceeding from the fire or flame.

page 319 note * Kelvin, , Electrostatics and Magnetism, §§ 413, 414, pp. 332, 333Google Scholar.

page 322 note * Prof.Schuster, , on “Atmospheric Electricity,” at Royal Institution, February 22, 1895Google Scholar.