New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-08-01
WHAT rs ELECTRICITY

In 'Harper's Magazine" for August Sir Oil
yer Lodge presents in a popular form a view
OF the nature of electricity which has recently
received much attention from scientific men.
To only limited extent, perhaps, is he 10 he
regarded the author II the theory here ad-
vanced. His belief in it. though, is noteworthy,
for Sir Oliver is one Of the leading authorities
on electricity. Besides. he has a particularly
happy way OF discussing such subjects. Some
of the most profound thnkers-Cerke Maxwell
for instance-have employed language which
TO the layman is absolutely incomprehensible
Hence. while clcarness of statement is not evil
denC2 of sound reasoning. man deserves pub
! lie gratitude who talks and writes so inellgi-
bly, as Sir Oliver Lodge
| Textbooks physics usually distinguish care
fully between matte" and force The former
| can be recognized by man only while under the
influence of some form of the latter. Again.
force reveals itself only through the medium
of matter. Still. the two are 10 be kept sepa-
rate in the mind, Whether electricity is force
or matter is a question which has received
good deal Of consideration. Most physicists
frankly confess that they cannot tell Elec-
| tricity. they say. can be known only by its
properties. They prefer to describe it as
| physical agent" which is manifested in Ger
tain ways. At one time there was a DISPOSE
ton to consider electricity as one form Of force
but the opinion is not so widely held to-day
Silvanus 7. Thompson (Of the London Techu-
cal College,. whose works on this subject have
been widely used in colleges and high schools
declares that electricity is neither matter nor
energy though resembling both in being in
desiructible. In some ways he shows it acts
like an attenuateG gas; i'll others it behaves like
an incompressible liquid He mentions respect
fully the notion that il is identical with the
ether which is supposed to extend everywhere
through space but he is careful not 10 COM
nit himself to any of these hypothesis. Sir
Oliver Lodge, in his article in "Harper's Maya
zine. goes further. He, too. denies that cleo
trlclty Is energy. but he is even more strongly
impressed than is Silvanus T.. Thompson with
its similarity to matter. He will not say. In so
many words, that they are Identical, but he
has no hesitation in affirming that matter is
composed of electricity"
Sir divers faith is based on n convention Of
the atom. Of which Professor J. !. Thomson
(of Cambridge University is the chief exponent
According to this expert atoms are made I'm OF
two kinds of particles. Some are large and
carry charges Of positive electricity, and some
! are smail-eXceedingly small indeed-and are
negatively electrified. Professor Thomson calls
the latter "corpuscles." says that they are far
more numerous than the other kind. and adds
! that they are So dlminutive that n thousand OF
| them are required to equal in bulk "A positive
| PARTICLE When he thinks of the structure Of
an individual atom, the Cambridge physicist
| employs only solitary positive element which
Is made 10 lnclose, like shell, the negative
| particles. Electric attraction binds the systep,
! together. AS all atoms in the universe arc SIM
posed by him to be built on that plan. Of course
ne makes electricity coexistent with matter.
lie also shows that electricity seems to possess
some OF the properties of matter. 1t can be re.
! moved Dy nltration through cotton wool
/ Other physicists cOncede that large nos;t,va
particles and small negative ones can be detect.
ed separately, and that it is safe TO guess ar
their size from the quantity of electricity thew
carry. On the other hand. very few experts are
Wiling 10 evinee belief In the hypothetical
combination which Professor Thomson makes
Judgment on the correctness of the selectrIcaI
theory OF the atom" is at present suspended
Consequently any argument which has thar ,o,.
a roundatlon Is just now uncOnvineing Never
theless Sir divers article is valuable for the