1. THE CONDUCTIVITY OF GASES
If we were confined to the facts I have set forth above, we might
conclude that two classes of phenomena are to-day being interpreted
with increasing correctness in spite of the few difficulties which
have been pointed out. The hypothesis of the molecular constitution of
matter enables us to group together one of these classes, and the
hypothesis of the ether leads us to co-ordinate the other.
But these two classes of phenomena cannot be considered independent of
each other. Relations evidently exist between matter and the ether,
which manifest themselves in many cases accessible to experiment, and
the search for these relations appears to be the paramount problem the
physicist should set himself. The question has, for a long time, been
attacked on various sides, but the recent discoveries in the
conductivity of gases, of the radioactive substances, and of the
cathode and similar rays, have allowed us of late years to regard it
in a new light. Without wishing to set out here in detail facts which
for the most part are well known, we will endeavour to group the chief
of them round a few essential ideas, and will seek to state precisely
the data they afford us for the solution of this grave problem.
Pages:
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309