The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1910-05-20
ELECTrlclTY.
VIZ Il Is DiFeui. F,r ths Layman ts
Understsns What II Is.

"What is elect. titv:" is n favor
~ query with ! Owe vino desire I,
a~et rise" oat q Il scientific man
And when he fails TO answer it il
the same simple fashion that h,
mirlt treat tic question "Wbat i
biseait," the nlcstioner cries ont
"Ahal You profess 70 know nj
about electricity. Nby. Won cam
even fell what il isr'
Now. 10 tell what n thing is,-
that IS. To define it. 10 state i.
relations with 81 ,ething more fa.
uilr Tlc particular familiar
tbnr tllt the ouestioner is tbink-
inc Oh in n., case is rli,arv mar.
ter Hoat has bccn explained to
him rs bratioa If material mar.
ticle. II ht. he has been told Is
sua,a motion ia tho ether. and he
md rtands he c.hcr 10 be kind
Of ratter or substance resem-
bling matter in some particulars
II IS rot to be denied that no
such simrc eeneral relationship
can BE- sted lctwccn electricity
ana matter But. this being so il
voull lc inst as correct to saw that
We Do mi know what matter il "a
that We 80 not know what electrici-
tv is. As a matter ~ fact we do
not know what matter is and the
latest plausible theory Of il buiIds
il up on an electric basis so flat on
tbs theory the idea Of electricity ia
more fundamental than that ~
matter. Unfortunately our senses
have been evolved by contact with
ma,t,r and ore tra;no5 '.a't - WI. VIII
only matter. Electricity they know
onlv secondarilv throuab its action
upon matter-the li-ht or heat that
it causes matter to give out the at
traction that it causes certain sub |
stances to exert. and so ON To tbs
man in the street. therefore matter
Is familiar. and hc demonds a e+o4a-
ment Of the latter in terms Of the 4
former Illogical tborqb tbis NAV
Be. After the scientist has stated
all thi the reply comes back eyes
! understand all that and i "a
most clear. I am sure but tau mo
then. what il electricity ANYWAY .,
Another source Of confusion 70
the lav mind Is that scientific ro,,
do not alwavs use the word ..eIoc-
tricity" 10 mean the same tbing
The engineer often emnlovs Il -
express the thing that the tbeorot- ,
ical electrician calls electric ensr
g"
To End the energy Of electricity
that is. its ability 70 do work
the electrician multinlies tho onor
TIT Of electricity bv the potential
Or tension under which + exists !
But to the engineer this nrodnct |
itself measures the thing that be !
calls electricity" .
Tie work that n Mound ~ woto-
nay Do by falling a foot is one foot r
g.-Hl. The water is the same after
iaIling as before. though its energy
I 'e''' 70 TO the electrician a
quantity Of electricity at 100 volts
I, precisely the same as at one volt.
,,nough the former is able to do a
H-nlIed q, times as much work.
!, inns difference in meaning causes
thousands ) OF disputes among stu
oenis Electricity is a form Of
saeFsy says one, "just like light
y y. neat "Oh, no." is the reply.
4 Is not energy at all, though it
may possess or convey energy" One
.spliant is talking about the elec-
.ooat \ that Of the engineer; hence
N ~ { dispute IS merely a matter Of
letnItion, though they do not know
! What wonder that some people
lfe stl' content TO REGARD tho whole b
ubicct a. 4 civilized Wumho Jnm' I'M
'0'-Nt. Louis RcDublic ~