The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-31
ELECTRICITY A SUBSTANCE.
Generation Consists in Splitting EIec-
irons from Atoms.
London Electrician.

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The generation Of electricity consists in
splitting off an electron from the atom. The
eleetron. then produces a stress in the ether SINH
The remainder OF the atom acts as a positive
ly' charged body, though We do not know as
special positive eIectron or not. If it is, we have
not yet succeeded in isolating the positive cleo
heavier than the negative electron. In any case
We have here an elementary negative charge Of
ABOUT one-ten-Dill1Onth or the absolute unit and
an elementary positive charge of the same
amount. These elementary charges attract each
Other ana repel similar charges. They can asso-
c1ate with clusters OF neutral PARTICLES. A mega
tive electron thus associated with ordinary mat
Ter becomes a negative ION and a positive cleo
iron becomes q positive ion" Conduction con-
sists in the wandering of positive ions down the
potential gradient, and Of negative ions up the
potential gradient.
This wandering can take place in metals. 1t
! cuIes Of the metal, and a magnetic heid by the
motion OF the charges. In a liquid the energy Of
motion is consumed In the splitting up or 'ioni-
zation' of the neutral molecules. Every cur
rent OK heat is associated with d transportation
OF ions. and here the whole Held Of thermo-elec-
tricity Is entered. In the vaeuum-tube ions move
with less restraint Negative eleStrons are shot
OH from the cathode with the velocity OF light.
or something very nearly approaching 1t, and
where they strike upon a solid ths produce ex-
power which are known as ROentgen rays.
Where they hit gaseous particles they ionize
them and in doing so develop great heat and
Light, thus giving rise 10 the whole fascinating
vista of vacuum discharges.
Nor is their wonderful activity confined to the
fields enumerated. for the whole phenomena Of
magnetism are based upon the ~electron. When
ever an atom has "a high valency, such as iron.
cobalt or nickeI. 1t appears that the free cleo
irons which constitute these valencies revolve
around the rest of the atom. These revolutions
produce whirls in the ether which are known as
magnetic displacements or stresses, or lines Of
force" and whenever a conductor, l. G., a
body containing freely movable ions (say one
for every 5000 neutral atoms) is moved through
these whirls, the ions are set moving in opposite
directions with a velocity Of about one cent?
meter per second. and we have the whole phe-
nomena OF induced currents.
The enormous rapidity OF the magnetic revolu-
lions may be judged from their probable period.
which is about one-trillionth of a second. In
the electric arc we have not only a great ex-
change of opposite ions, but this iOnizing action
of ultraviolet light may lead to the calculation
of all the problems of atmospheric electricity.
The latest Information, as recently supplied by
US, goes TO show that ionization is constantly
going on wherever there is matter. and that
some bodies have the faculty of projecting either
negative electrons or positive ions with some
force. These b1dies. like radium. actinium and
polonium, are then said to be radioactive. Hur-
muzescu has gone further and proved that the
electrons revolving in magnets often shoot off at
a tangent and "electrify'' a liquid in which they
/ are placed.