Faraday to George Biddell Airy   27 October 1853

Royal Institution | 27 Octr. 1853

My dear Sir

I am very glad you are about to observe for ozone¹. - I think it may, and probably will, become a matter of great importance in relation to the atmosphere & its natural actions. Schonbein’s Ozonometer is the best thing we have at present; but the subject is very likely to open out.

Referring to your previous note²; May I say that perhaps your mind has been for a moment embrarrassed [sic] by thoughts, mingling the conditions of dynamic & static induction; which differ very greatly from each other. In our recent observations together³, though the source of Electricity was the Voltaic pile, still the induction we looked after was pure static induction; with the one exception the phenomenon which you noticed, namely the advance of the needle on breaking battery contact.

I have thought much on Induction and series xi, xii & xiii⁴ of my Exp Researches (which I think you have) are on the subject. I will not ask you to go through them but perhaps paragraphs 1175-8 and 1295-306⁵ might suggest a clearing thought to you in relation to the wire results. You will see at Par 1333⁶ that I have in principle anticipated the effect as to time of conduction by the wire consequent upon induction exerted by neighbouring matter. I had quite forgotten the anticipation[.]

The case of dynamic induction you will find in Paragraphs 1048 &c⁷.

Ever My dear Sir | Yours | M. Faraday

Professor Airy | &c &c &c