The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-04-24
THE ELECTION THEORY.
A New Explanation of the Nature Of
Electricity.

Electricity.
In "The Election Theory" Fournier
d'Albe has endeavored to set forth
clear and popular exposition of that
new and interesting scientific concep-
tion, the electron, and its bearings Oh
the sciences of electricity and magne-
tism. "We all know" says the writer,
that electricity is kind of subtle
fluid consisting of electrons, or very
small corpuscles, some 10000 times
smaller than the atoms of ordinary
| matter" All electric and magnetic
| phenomena are now to be expressed
n terms of the distribution and mo-
tions Of these elections. The electron
IS said to be a centre of force NOV
ng swiftly in the vacuum tube, slow
| ly along currentbeaflng wire, and
surging to and fro In the alternating
current. Electrons emit waves across
space into the receiver in wireless
telegraphy, and move in orbits round
the atoms of ordinary matter. An
atom SO accompanied is negatively
charged. In the electrolytic cell, for
Example, where hydrochloric acid Is
split up into hydrogen and chlorine,
each atom of the latter has an electron
associated with 1t. BY virtue of this 1t
is negatively electrified, and repels
every other atom so charged.
Electricity is connected with ordin-
| lry matter, and the electron theory
with the atomic, as follows: The elec-
iron dsplaces the atom as the physical
init, or smallest particle that can ex-
ist, for the atom Itself is made UP of
alectrons. The elements differ from
each other by reason of the different
numbers of electrons contained in their
ltoms. The hydrogen atom contains
the smallest number, viz, 800, and the
clements with the higher atomic
weights contain the greater number
The electrons repel each other and
move freely about within the atom
With the velocity of light. While thus
repelling each other they are sup
bosed to be kept together by some
force, which is probably charge of
positive electricity. But while mega
tive electricity is conceived to be ato-
mic in structure, positive electricity
S not thought to be thus discontinuous.
An atom Of ordinary matter with one
II more free electrons associated with
It is negatively electrified, while an
ltom which has lost one or more OF
s normal number Is positively cleo
rrified.
The remarkable emanations of radi-
nm and the other radioactive elements
can be explained on the electron the
ory. The radium or other atom, in
stead of merely giving off a few elec-
trons, and thereby becoming positive
ly electrified without losing its identi-
ty, continues to lose them till 1t ceas-
IS to exist. And the electrons thus
given off may be grouped, or after
ward group themselves, to form new
clements. Thus, Sir William Ramsay
claims to have produced the gas hell
um, of smaller atomic weight and few
or electrons In the atom, from disinte-
grating radium, whose denser atom
contains more numerous electrons.
And the electron theory points to
the possibility of the transmutation of
any element into another of smaller
atomic weight-that is, of fewer elec-
irons In the atom.
When 1t is remembered that the size
Of an electron is only one thirty-thou-
sandth part of an atom, it is somewhat
surprising to find Prof. ]. ]. Thorn
son saying that at present 1t is better
known. In order to get some idea
of the size of an atom several some
what abstruse lines of physical rea-
soning were followed out. These
were found to converge in suggesting
certain somewhat wide limits for the
probable size of the atom. A drop Of
water magnified up to the size of
the globe would show it's constituent
particles about the size of cricket balls
This was Lord Kelvin's suggestion ru
enable the mind to grasp some idea of
the size of the atom. In contrast to
this We have the definite statement
that the electron has a diameter OF
one ten-billionth of centimetre, and
that its weight is one thousand-quadril-
lionth part Of 81 gramme! The prac-
tical electrician has already accom-.
plished truly astonishing results"
says M. Fournier d'Albe. what he
will do when he gets a grip on the