Faraday to Charles Babbage   22 December 1841

R Institution | 22 Decr. 1841

My dear Sir

The note is too vague in its description of the experiments & the mode of ascertaining the effect to tell for much. The effect of size is often so complicated with other effects that it cannot without great care be estimated[.] Thus I am pretty sure that if the gold plate had been increased to the size of the copper plate or the copper plate diminished to the size of the gold plate the ratio of 1:40 would no longer have appeared perhaps only 1:2 or 1:3.

Gold is well known to be better than copper & gilt surfaces have often been used[.] Grove does use platina in his battery¹ which probably surpasses gold. Gilt surfaces have not as yet proved practically advantageous[.]

I am most happy to hear that you are quite well & shall come to look at you soon[.]

Ever Faithfully Yours | M. Faraday