About this book
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CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION BY THE EDITOR.
Biographical data-Lord Charles Cavendish's experiments-Henry
Cavendish lived with his father during his electrical researches―
His laboratory in Great Marlborough Street-His apparatus-His
attendant-Committee of the Royal Society on lightning con-
ductors-Cavendish's researches on the electric current-Papers
on the Torpedo by Walsh, Hunter, &c.-Experiment on the
formation of nitric acid before the Royal Society-Cavendish's
artificial Torpedo
Account of Cavendish's Writings on Electricity.
The two papers in the Philosophical Transactions .
The manuscripts-Sir W. Snow Harris' account of them
PAGES
xxvii to xxxviii
Why Cavendish did not publish them
State of electrical science-Lord Mahon's experiments-Estimate of
Cavendish by Dr Thomas Young
Coulomb's researches
Cavendish's method
Comparison of charges
Proof of the law of force
Experiments on coated plates-spreading of electricity
Specific inductive capacity.
Plates of air
"Whether the charge of a coated plate bears the same proportion
to that of a simple conductor whether the electrification is strong
or weak"
xxxix
xl
xli
xliii
xlv
xlvi
xlix
1
li
lii
liii
liv
Reference to these experiments in the paper on the Torpedo
Determination of the "power of the velocity to which the resistance is
proportional"
lix
"AN ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL PHENOMENA OF ELECTRICITY,
BY MEANS OF AN ELASTIC FLUID." From the Philosophical Transactions
for 1771 (p. 1-50).
Charges of similar bodies as the n-1 power of their corresponding diame-
ters, and independent of the material of which they are made
67-72
Charge of a thin flat plate independent of its thickness
73
Two parallel circular plates
74-83
Equilibrium of electricity in bodies communicating by a canal is in-
dependent of the form of the canal
84-93
Whether the conditions of equilibrium are the same for two bodies com.
municating by a conducting wire as if they communicated by a canal
of incompressible fluid.
94-96
Molecular constitution of air
35
97
PART II.
Containing a comparison of the foregoing theory with Experiment.
§ 1. Conductors and non-conductors
Electric properties of air and vacuum
Positive and negative electrification
§ 2. Attraction and repulsion
Electrometer in electrified air
§ 3. On the cases in which bodies receive electricity from, or part with it
(Mém. Berl. 1756, p. 119)
§ 8. Electric spark.
§ 7. Wilcke and Epinus's experiment of electrifying a plate of air
98
99, 100
101-105
106-117
117
118-126
127
134
135-139
PRELIMINARY PROPOSITIONS.
From the MS. in the possession of the Duke of Devonshire, No. 4.
Prop. xxix (Fig. 1). If the fluid uniformly spread on a circular plate is to that collected in the circumference as p to 1 the capacity of the plate is to that of the globe as p+1 to 2p+1 Prop. xxx. Capacity of two disks at a finite distance
Cor. 2. Capacity when the density is supposed uniform
Cor. 3. The place in which the canal meets the disk is indifferent only
when the fluid is in equilibrium
ARTICLES
140
141
142
143
144
Lemma XII (Fig. 2). Repulsion of a particle on a column
145
146
147
Lemma xv (Fig. 3). Action of a uniform cylinder on an external point
Cor. Potential of middle and end.
148
149
Prop. xxx1 (Fig. 3). Charge of cylinder compared with that of globe
Cor. Upper and lower limits of charge
150
151
Prop. xxxii (Fig. 4), Charge of two equal cylinders at a finite distance.
Prop. xxxi. Ratio of charges of B and b may be deduced from the
ratios of B and b to C.
Lemma xv (Fig. 5). Repulsion on a short column close to an electrified
plate
Lemma xvi (Fig. 6). Two equidistant concave plates
Cor. 1. Definition of corresponding points, &c.
Cor. 2. Density increasing towards the circumference
Lemma XVII (Fig. 7).
Cor.
Prop. xxxiv (Fig. 8).
Cor. 1. Flat coated plate of any form
Cor. 2. Flat circular plate
152
153
154
155
156
157
Concave plate compared with flat one
158
159
160
161
162
Cor. 8. Charge directly as surface and inversely as thickness
163
164
165
166
167
168
Prop. xxxv (Fig. 9). Theory of conducting strata in the glass plate
Prop. xxxvi (Fig. 10). Penetration of glass by fluid
169
170
Cor. 1. Equivalent thickness of plate if there were no penetration
Cor. 2. Thickness of coatings indifferent.
Prop. XXXVII. Density more nearly uniform than if there had been no
penetration
Cor. Distribution probably nearly the same as in plate of air of equiva-
173
lent thickness
174
APPENDIX.
From MS. No. 5.
Prop. 1. Charge of a condenser little affected by the presence of an over-
charged body
175
Cor. 6 (Fig. 11). Two coated plates in communication little affected by
Lemma. Potential of two equal particles compared with that of their
sum at their centre of mass
187
Applied to case of two parallel disks
188
Mutual action of large circle and trial plate in Experiment v.
Mutual action of small circles and trial plate in Experiment v.
Effect of floor and walls of the room
189
190
192
193
Effect of earth connexion the same as if it were infinitely long
194
THOUGHTS CONCERNING ELECTRICITY.
From MS. No. 18. (Probably an early draft of the theory.)
Hypothesis of an electric fluid
195
The fluid acts at a distance but does not itself extend to any perceptible
distance from electrified bodies
196
Proof of this, and objections to the hypothesis of electric atmospheres
On the hypothesis of electric atmospheres.
197
198
Condition of electric equilibrium between conductors in electric com-
munication
Definitions of positive and negative electrification, and of over and under
charge.
Fifth hypothesis, on the communication of electricity between conductor
and the surrounding air
208
