Page:Experimental researches in electricity.djvu/331

Rh action and no electric current, though the water was there, so that contact with the water did nothing: the water and acid were moved and mixed together by means of the end of the wire i; in a few moments proper chemical action came on, the iron evolving nitrous gas at the place of its action, and at the same time acquiring a positive condition at that part, and producing a powerful electric current.

1028. When the chemical action which either has or could have produced a current in one direction is reversed or undone, the current is reversed (or undone) also.

1029. This is a principle or result which most strikingly confirms the chemical theory of voltaic excitement, and is illustrated by many important facts. Volta in the year 1802 showed that crystallised oxide of manganese was highly negative to zinc and similar metals, giving, according to his theory, electricity to the zinc at the point of contact. Becquerel worked carefully at this subject in 1835, and came to the conclusion, but reservedly expressed, that the facts were favourable to the theory of contact. In the following year De la Rive examined the subject, and shows, to my satisfaction at least, that the peroxide is at the time undergoing chemical change and losing oxygen, a change perfectly in accordance with the direction of the current it produces.

1030. The peroxide associated with platinum in the green nitrous acid originates a current, and is negative to the platinum, at the same time giving up oxygen and converting the nitrous acid into nitric acid, a change easily shown by a common chemical experiment. In nitric acid the oxide is negative to platinum, but its negative state is much increased if a little alcohol be added to the acid, that body assisting in the reduction of the oxide. When associated with platinum in solution of potash, the addition of a little alcohol singularly favours the increase of the current for the same reason. When the peroxide and platinum are associated with solution of sulphuret of potassium, the peroxide, as might have been expected, is strongly negative.

1031. In 1835 M. Muncke observed the striking power of peroxide of lead to produce phenomena like those of the peroxide of manganese, and these M. de la Rive in 1836 immediately referred to corresponding chemical changes. M. Schœnbein