Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-08-22
ELECTRIC THEORY OF MATTER.
Some Revolutionary Ideas in Modern
Science.

Science.
Sir Oliver Lodge, F. R. S, in Har-
per's MISUNDERSTANDING is not a
form of energy any more than water
IS a form of energy. Water may be
a vehicle of energy when at high
level or in motion; so may electricity.
Electricity cannot be manufactured, as
heat can; il can only be moved from
place to place, like water; and its
energy must be in the form of motion
or of strain. Electricity under strain
constitutes Charge electricity in 10
comOtion constitutes a current and
magnetism; electricity in vibration
constitutes light. What electricity It
self is we do not know, but it may per-
haps be a form or aspect Of matter.
So have taught for thirty years the
disciples of Clerk Maxwell
Now we can go one step further and
say matter is composed of electricity,
and of nothing elsa thesis which /
wish to explain and partially justify.
First we must ask what is positive
electricity, and the answer is still we
do not know. For myself I do not
even guess-beyond supposing it to be
a mode of manifestation, OF a differ
entiated portion, OF the continuous and
all-pervading ether. 1t seems to exist
in Jumps the size of the atoms OF mat
ter; and no portion of it less in bulk
than an atom has ever been isolated,
nor appears likely to be isolated.
But concerning negative electricity
we know a great deal more. This
exists in excessively minute particles
sometimes called electrons and some
times called corpuscles; these are
thrown of the negatively charged ter
minal in a vacuum tube, and they fly
with tremendous speed till they strike
something. When they strike they can
propel as well as heat the target, and
they can likewise make it emit phos-
phoTescent glow, especially if it be
made of glass or precious stones. II
the target is a very massive metal like
platinum, the sudden stoppage Of the
flying electrons which encounter il
causes the production Of the ethereal
pulses known as X-rays. Electrons
are not very easy to stop, however;
and a fair proportion of them can pen
citrate not only wood and paper, but
sheets of such metals as aluminium and
other moderately thin obstacles. That
is because they are extremely small
much smaller than the atoms Of mat
ter.
Each electrOn has a definite charge
of electricity-viz, the same charge
as is conveyed by each single atom
when a current is passed through a
chemically conducting liquid. Every
electron has also a definite and uni
form mass. which is about 1-S00th Of
that of an atom of ydrogen-hitherto
the lightest known form of matter.
From every kind of material the same
and no other kind of electron can be
obtained. and we have reason for as
sorting that no other kind exists.
Electric currents are always due to
the locomOtion of these little electric
charges; they permeate and make
their way through metals, being hand
ed on from one atom TO the next, as a
fre-bucket is passed from hand to
hand. This is metallic conduction.
LIQUID conduction is different; the
electrons travel with the atoms in
liquids, and hence travel slowly, being
jostled by the crowd, and being laden
with the heavy atom which they con-
vey or propel, as a pony Tor flea-in
mass a pony, but in bulk a fea) might
drag a heavy wagon through crowded
streets. until at the terminal station ii
is embarrassed and allowed to trot
into its stable. which is what happens
when the boundary between liquid and
metallic conductors is reached. Elec-
irons become still more emancipated,
however, in rarefied cases, which act as
a cleared race-course, or like a free
range for flight; and then It is pos
sible to find them flying at prodigious
speed. even as high as 100000 miles a
second. and sometimes faster still, but
never quite so fast as light.
Whenever an electron is suddenly
started or stopped, or made to turn
corner, it disturbs the ether through
which it had been quietly moving and
excites a ripple in it. These ethereal
ripples constitute radiation, and the
best-known variety Of them we call
light" With this we have been
familiar for long time, because of our
happening TO possess eyes-instru-
ments for the ready appreciation Of
ethereal ripples. We used not to
know the reason, however, for the pro
duction of light. We know now that
it is due to the sudden change of mo-
ton, either n speed or direction, of an
electron; and probably TO no other
cause.
The charge in an electron is very
small. but is extremely concentrated
that is 10 say, it exists only as a very
minute nucleus; and in order to ex-