The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-09-17
Electricity a Substance.
London Electrician.

IOHQCn- .GlOSGA4S4111.
The generation of electricity con-
sists in splitting off an electron from
the atom. The electron then produces
q stress in the ether similar to that
due to negatively" charged body,
though we do not know as yet wheth-
er the positive charge is due to a spe-
ycial positive electron Or not. If it is,
we have not yet succeeded in isolating
the positive electron. but it is sup
posed to be about ten times heaVler
than the negative electron. In many,
cases we have here an elementary
negative charge OF about one-ten-oli-
lionth of the absolute unit and an ele-
mentary positive charge OF the same
amount. These elementary charges at
tract each other and repel similar
charges. They can associate with clus-
T ters of neutral particles. A negative
eiectron thus associated with ordinary
matter becomes negative ion' and
positive electron becomes a posi-
tive ion.,' Conduction consists 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. It5then produces heat by coli1s-
ion with, the molecules OF the metal
| and a magnetic field by the motion OF
the charges. In liquid, the energy
of motion is consumed In the splitting
fup or ionization" Of neutral mole
cules. Every current of heat is asso-
c;ated with q transportation Of ions
and here the whole field of thermo-
electricity is entered. In the vaccum
tube ions move with less restraint.
Negative electrons are shot off from
the cathode with the velocity Of light,
or something very nearly approaching
it. and where they strike upon a
solid they produce explosive ether
waves of remarkable penetrating pow
or which are known as Roentgen rays.
Where they hit gaseous particles
they ionizes them, and in doing so
deYelope great heat and light. thus
giving rise to the whole fascinating
vista Of vacuum discharges.
Nor is. their wonderful activity con-
fined to the fields enumerated, for the
whole phenomena of magnetism are
based upon the electron. Whenever
an action has a high yalency, such as
iron, cobalt or nickel, it appears that
the free elec5rons which constitute
these Valencies revolYe around the
rest Of the atom. These revolutions
produce Whirls IN the ether which
are known as magnetic, displacements
Eor stresses, or linespf force, - and
whenever & conducssf e., body
containing freely movable ions (say
one for every 5000 neutral atomsl is
moved through these whirls, the; ions
are Set moving in opposite directions
with q velocity Of about onescentl
meter per second, and we have the,
whole phenomena Of induced currents
The. enormous rapidity Of the mag
netic revolutions may be judged from
their probable period, which is about
.one-tril llionth Of 8 second. In the cleo
tric arc we have not only great ex-
change of opposite ions, but this
.ionization action of ultraviolet light
and Elster and Geitef have shown
how this ionization action of ultra
violet light may lead to the elncida-
ton of all the problems of atmospher-
&c electricity. The latest Information,
as recently supplied to US, goes to
show that ionization is constantly
going on wherever there is matter
and that some bodies have the facul-
ty of projecting either negative cleo
irons or positive ions with some force.
These bodies, like radium, aetinium
and polonium, are then said to be
radioactive. Hurmuzescu has gone
farther and proved that the eiectrons
revolving in magnets often shoot off at
tangent and selectrify" liquid in
which they are placed.