Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-02-21
CAUSE OF THUNDER.
Hc-r s-norous Results Come from InHn.
itesimpl Causes.

| cause of thunder. but for the most part
| the explana tons merely cause us to
! wonder how such sonorous results can
| come from such infinitesiinal causes.
| Thus line OF nothing emanates from
nowhere; goes nowhere, acts for the
| least conceivable period of time. Dur
| ing this time the surrounding air be-
| comes incandcscent, and remains so for
an instant only, just long enough to
mark path, the flash leaving by con
trast blacker darkness than before.
The air thus expanded by the heat
from resistance contracts to its original
place.
Let us pass the first imponderable
and see II we can not find results IN
poDderable substances adequate to the
production of this deafening and rever-
berating effect which we call thunder.
Take bulb having neck curved up
so that the end may be immersed in
vessel of water at slightly higher
level. Solder in the bulb piece of
platinum wire; fill the bulb ard pipe
with water. the upper end being sub
merged az stated Connect the wire in
circuit with battery OF say two or
heated by the current, the water boils,
and we have the wire surrounded by an
atmosphere Of aqueous vapor. Suppose
the vapor represents the cloud forma-
ton, and tho wire the line of the cleo.
trical effect, the lightning's path.
We have here our current in full con-
tact with aqueous vapor, which 1t rap
idly decomposes. The oxyhydrogen gas,
passing off in bubbles can readily be
collected in receiver.
The law of diffusion OF gases of
course at all times operative, Is not 80
nearly instantaneous in Its action as il
often supposed. II the water is blown
out Of a boiler while the furnace walls
are yet hot, and II the manhead is
knocked in, after a time steam will
cease to escape. TO all appearances the
boiler Is full Of air. Insert lighted
torch for better inspections; the light is
as instantaneously and eifectually cx-
tinguished as If dipped into water. 1t
Is simply an atmosphere of steam,
though considerable time has been al
lowed for diffusion.
The rise OF the gases in the bulb
shows that they occupy very much
greater space TRAN the vapor from
which they were derived. There is.
however, this difference between the
| yapor in experiment and that of the
| cloud; The latter is composed OF
| water finely divided, but, neverthe.
| less, water in fact, while in the
| bulb the vapor is not water but steam
! the gaseous condition, which, at at
mospheric pressure as in this case, oc
cupies a space /, roo times greater thar
| the water from which il was derived
| The still further division, resulting ir
the disintegration of the steam in tn,
| bulb into its constituent elements, oxy
gen and hydrogen, respectively, though
mixed Xyhydrogen gas-results as al
ready stated, in greatly augmented vol
ume. Thus we see an immense dis
placement of air, how great is left t.
our imagination to conjecture, as thu
best constructed tables of volumes Civ
no exact and reliable information, a
the conditions are wanting. While tn
/ electrical effect is at its height tn
gases which are forming are highl
rariiied and thus occupy relativel
iuFHe space.
With the decrease of electrical effec
and consequent heat, the repulsive eifec
/ Is decreased and when the decline ha
? reached the proper point, u recombina
) ton is instantly effected; the Who'll,
volume of gas is instantly withdrawn
leaving an insignificant small amour
of water in its place. The remaining
walls moisture laden, rush in from al
sides to fill the void, producing a terriii
conclusion. 1t is scarcely necessary t
advert to the rolling reverberations
for, with the prime cause ascertained
the secondary effects naturally TO
low. Intense electrical action will il
duce chemical action otherwise improl
able; thus, hydrogen by diffusion vii
come in contact and combine with
large per cent, Of oxygen, resulting i
ozone; and as trace of ammonia
found after thunder storms it seem
probable that through catalysis sma1
amount OF the liberated hydrogen ma
unite with a small amount of nitrogen
We take it that the formation of thes
two products tends to strengthen tn
| hVuothqSiS -Wpstern Electriria an