Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-10-13
THE ELECTRIC CURRENT.

"what IL electricityy' That Il ques-
ton no man can yet fully answer. In q
great electric station you may see
huge engine ''turning over" two big
copper wheels. They are doing no
work, and require little steam. The
day darkens; lights are turned on
through the city. a man ut the switch
board 'sthrows In" the switches, bring
Ing the two dynamos into circuit, and
connecting them with the copper con-
ductors through the streets, and pres
entity the two wheels require all the
power the $500 horsepower engine can
supply, and are lighting $4,000 electric
! | mps. But the wheels turn ut the ,me
speed; you cannot see or feel any differ
ence. The men who make the dynamos
aud the men who operate them know
how to produce electricity, but Mr.. Edi-
son himself, standing by an Edison
dyamo, could only tell you the show"
and not the "why." Yet for thousands
of years this great power has been in the
universe. waiting for the nineteenth
century man literally to find 1t out. The
dis-coverer, the inventor, only un-cov-
ers or comes-to the force already In the
/ VI
nineteenth century, In the person Of q
Kelvin, an Edison, Tesla, or a man yet
unknown, may answer the question, or
IL may be left unanswered to the twen-
tieth.
We know electricity from its effects
and through its relations with other
forces. Ii Is force having an effect on
matter. No force can be made. We do
not make electricity: we only convert
other force into 1t. Electricity Is pro-
duced by and produces magnetism. IL
produces and Is produced by heat, me-
ehanical force, chemical force.
When thus produced, an insulated
body can be charged" with It, or cleo
,rifed. The force Is then in suspended
animation rs static (stand-still or pass
body Is brought near, the force leap:
free, and the electrified body Is discharg
ed with a shock or spark. Or, thus
produced. the force can be transmitted
az dynamic (force-full or active cleo
tricity. along the lines Of conductors
This Is the electric current.
When man l. packed In n crowd, /
he moves or Il moved, he must push hi
next neighbor, and he will push tina
particular next neighbor who move
easiest or makes least resistance. Al
forces act In this ''line OF least resist
ance." Silver, copper, etc, are Of SLOW
|, resistance" 10 electric force, and Ar
good conductors" OF electricity; par
sfiiue, rubber, glass, mica, are OF ''higl
resistance" will not conduct. and ar
.'insulators." Yet every conductor re
sists somea hat-therc Il some "loss" o
drop" the electricity turning int
heat; every iDsulator conducts some
whsi-there is some leakage" OF cur
,, rent.
Force must always do work; no fore
can be lost. IL the man In the crowd, n
he l. pushed and pulled, puts his hand
on the man In front OF him, snd he o
the next, To the edge OF the crowd, ant
the last man grips pump-handle, TN
push and pull At the centre, thus passe
on. will work the pump. This Is hov
= work Is done ut distance by the fore
OF electricity. II the men are close "a
2 gether in a ring, and one shoves forward
: the shove will be- passed all around IN
I ring till the first mans shove hits him
7 | sell IN tHt Dtth. iHt lu'u WVuiu Nv
p move round, but the force would. Thi
I IL like the electric "circuit."
. Place rubber band around iinger
: and begin To twist IL. The twist seem
5 To run round the ring. starting In on
D direction. coming back In the opposit
b direction, like positive" and negative
! current. though its direction Is reall
g the same. The twisting force repre-
e sents dynamo; IL you twist one wa
y continuously, 1t Is like the coDtinuou
g direct current; II you twist To and frC
= il Is like the alternating current, first |
= one direction. then in the other. II 20
, stretch the rubber band, and put tw
: pins through il on either side, the pin
will rotate like motors and in opposit
directions. These are simple analogue
OF applied electricity. What we kno'
!, OF electricity, rs science and as an ART
; can best be- learned by tracing GU
. knowledge from its beginnings
> Harper's Magazine.