Faraday to William Whewell   9 January 1836

Royal Institution | 9 Jany 1836

My dear Sir

You will think me long answering your letter¹ but the fact is I hoped to find, what I have not & what I cannot find, a copy of the 1, 2, & 3 series². I have none left but my own which are in constant use. If I can hereafter pick them up you shall have them[.]

Your information about the terms I shall at once make use of. I have been a little reserved about using them myself but I find others are employing them and as they thus approve I shall be decided for the future[.] Perhaps you remember I gave the name of Volta-electrometer³ to the instrument I used in determining the definite action[.] This Becquerel has translated Electrometre de Volta ⁴. Daniell advises calling it Volta-meter which sounds shorter & well: is there any objection?⁵

With respect to the balancing of exciting & decomposing forces in different cells, I once thought to obtain very simple & important results of that kind. See 1007⁶, &c but was stopped by finding the variations in intensity or in resistance did not follow any evident simple ratio but apparently some more complicated law - and also by the many interfering causes from change in the state of the plates &c. I have no doubt the subject is a good one but there is much to be cleared away in approaching it[.]

I quite agree with you about the importance of the relation of crystalline & chemical polarity - but do not pretend to know any thing about it at present though I suspect that it will all burst forth in its true simplicity & beauty some day shortly to some one of those who now think the subject worth considering[.]

Ever My dear Sir | Most Truly Yours | M. Faraday

Revd W. Whewell | &c &c &c

Address: Revd W. Whewell | &c &c &c | Trinity College | Cambridge