Certain peculiarities, however, are not
absolutely the same. Thus the theory of Lorentz, as well as that of
Maxwell, leads us to foresee that if an insulating mass be caused to
move in a magnetic field normally to its lines of force, a
displacement will be produced in this mass analogous to that of which
Faraday and Maxwell admitted the existence in the dielectric of a
charged condenser. But M.H. Poincare has pointed out that, according
as we adopt one or other of these authors' points of view, so the
value of the displacement differs. This remark is very important, for
it may lead to an experiment which would enable us to make a definite
choice between the two theories.
To obtain the displacement estimated according to Lorentz, we must
multiply the displacement calculated according to Hertz by a factor
representing the relation between the difference of the specific
inductive capacities of the dielectric and of a vacuum, and the first
of these powers. If therefore we take as dielectric the air of which
the specific inductive capacity is perceptibly the same as that of a
vacuum, the displacement, according to the idea of Lorentz, will be
null; while, on the contrary, according to Hertz, it will have a
finite value.
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