Page:On Electric Touch and the Molecular Changes produced in Matter by Electric Waves.djvu/15

466 receiver is thus absolutely free from all effects, except those which are to be observed—viz., the effects due to continuous action of radiation. The time of exposure is accurately measured by counting the individual flashes of radiation, due to interruption of the primary current in the Ruhmkorff coil by a tapping key. The conductivity of the substance at a given moment is inferred from the deflection of the galvanometer in circuit with the receiver. When feeble radiation is used, it takes an inconveniently long time to obtain reversals; there is, besides, a tendency of self-recovery in the receiver. In order to expedite the reversals, the incident electric radiation is made very strong.

Before entering into the detail of the results obtained, I will say a few words about the principal types likely to be met with. We may have the following:—

I. Substances in which the B state is unstable under the given conditions; the B state will therefore only persist during the action of radiation, the substance relapsing into the original condition on the cessation of radiation. Two cases are possible (i) when the substance is positive, (ii) when the substance is negative.

The latter case is exemplified by potassium. In the above curve (fig. 2), A and B represent the two molecular states. The substance being negative, A is more conducting; a represents the conductivity of the fresh specimen; the thick dots S S′. . . the individual flashes. It is seen that the effect of radiation is to produce a sudden diminution of conductivity, due to the transient formation of B variety with its diminished conductivity. The substance, electrically speaking, is highly elastic, and the limit of its elasticity is also very great. With the majority of substances, however, self-recovery is only possible when the narrow limit of elasticity is not exceeded.

II. In this class the radiation product is somewhat stable; the successive conversions from A to B and from B back to A are supposed to be complete. Probably there is no substance which exhibits this action in a perfect manner, but we have an approximation to this condition in the case of magnesium, which under proper adjustments shows successive complete reversals for a long time. The substance, however, after a time exhibits the effect of fatigue.