Page:Experimental researches in electricity.djvu/270

244 818. If the contact be made really active and effective, according to the beautiful discovery of Seebeck, by making its temperature different to that of the other parts of the circuit, then its power of generating a current is shown (812). This enables us to compare the supposed power of the mere contact with that of a thermo contact; and we find that the latter comes out as infinitely greater than the former, for the former is nothing. The same comparison of mere contact and thermo contact may be made by contrasting the effect of the contact c at common temperatures, with either the contact at a or at b, either heated or cooled. Very moderate changes of temperature at these places produce instantly the corresponding current, but the mere contact at x does nothing.

819. So also I believe that a true and philosophic and even rigid comparison may be made at x, between the assumed effect of mere contact and that of chemical action. For if the metals at x be separated, and a piece of paper moistened in dilute acid, or a solution of salt, or if only the tongue or a wet finger be applied there, then a current is caused, stronger by far than the thermo currents before produced (818), passing from the iron through the introduced acid or other active fluid to the platinum. This is a case of current from chemical action without any metallic contact in the circuit on which the effect can for a moment be supposed to depend (614); it is even a case where metallic contact is changed for chemical action, with the result that where contact is found to be quite ineffectual, chemical action is very energetic in producing a current.

820. It is of course quite unnecessary to say that the same experimental comparisons may be made at either of the other contacts, a or b.

821. Admitting for the moment that the arrangement proves that the contact of platinum and iron at x has no electromotive force (823, 847), then it follows also that the contact of either platinum or iron with any other metal has no such force. For if another metal, as zinc, be interposed between the iron and platinum at x, fig. 65, no current is produced; and yet the test application of a little heat at a or b will show by the corresponding current that the circuit being complete will conduct any current that may tend to pass. Now that the contacts of zinc with iron and with platinum are of equal electromotive force is not for a moment admitted by those who support the theory of contact activity; we ought therefore to have a resulting action equal to the differences of the two forces, producing