An elementary course of natural and experimental philosophy, for the use of beginners Volume 2 - Softcover

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1855 Excerpt: ...battery is constructed on the same principle as that of Daniell's, that is to say, the plates are acted upon by two liquids separated from each other by a porous earthenware partition. The pairs of plates are composed of amalgamated zinc z, and platinum foil Pt, plunged into a cell A B c D, composed of glazed porcelain or glass. The cell A B c D, is filled with diluted sul-Fin. 56. phuric acid, which acts directly upon the zinc; and the porous cell a, into which the platinum is plunged, is filled with nitric acid. The platinum plate Ft, is in metallic contact with the zinc of the succeeding cell, as shown at a; and so on to the whole series of cells in the battery. As the power of these batteries is much increased by giving to the zinc plates a very large surface as compared with the surface of the platinum plates, the zinc plates are bent round the porous cell a, so that they form in each cell two vertical surfaces, united by a horizontal surface at the bottom. When the poles of this battery are united, so as to bring it into action, the hydrogen, arising from the decomposition of diluted acid, does not attach itself to the platinum, but goes to change the nitric acid into nitrous acid; the oxide of zinc remains, as in DanielFs battery, in the cell of the diluted acid, without penetrating through the porous cell to the platinum, which consequently remains perfectly clean; this circumstance essentially contributes to keep up the power and constancy of the battery, which render it so valuable as a voltaic combination. After a time, however, the nitrous acid, which is constantly formed, acquires a high temperature and gives off deleterious fumes; when this takes place, the action of the battery should be arrested. This battery, for almost every purpose, is th...

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