A.B.¹ to Faraday   After 1844

Sir,

I trust you will pardon the liberty I have taken in addressing to you the inclosed ‘Attempt to explain some of the phenomena of Electricity on the Hypothesis of a Vibrating Etherial Medium’.

That Light, Heat, Electricity, Magnetism, & probably Chemical Action, are but modifications of Etherial Vibrations is an Hypothesis, so extremely Beautiful by its simplicity, so rich in suggestion & so consonant to the present state of Science (to which state you have yourself so immensely contributed) - that I think in the words of Herschel, ‘if it be not true, it deserves to be so’².

I would beg leave to mention that my explanations accord just as well with your Hypothesis of Matter as consisting merely of ‘Centers of Force’, as with the common one, of Material atoms³.

The enclosed Papers, are of course, merely a slight sketch: The explanation of Attraction & Repulsion (by far the most difficult portion of the Subject) I will endeavor to give in a succeeding Paper, together with a further development in each part, if the present Papers seem to you worthy of any notice.

The Theory so nearly applies to the optical Experiments in which you are at present engaged, that this has been to me an additional reason to lay this attempt before you. It might appear the more correct course to send my papers to some Scientific Journal, instead of obtruding them on the notice of one whose time is so valuable to himself & the Public: my excuse is, that Editors I believe are very averse to the admission of any merely Theoretical speculations especially when the Author is ‘unknown to Fame’. My reliance is therefore on your well known Liberality & Condescension. Should you consider the attempt at all worthy of attention, a line addressed to A.B. care of Mrs Gale⁴ 19 Westbourne Street, Pimlico, will find,

Your Obedient Servant | “A Student of Natural Philosophy”.

Professor Faraday

Electricity, considered as the Effect of Vibratory Motion in an Etherial Medium.

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As a first application of this Theory I shall take ‘the action of Points’.

The arrows denote the direction in which the aetherial particles are supposed to vibrate: ABCDE a point projecting from a metallic mass or conductor. The dots may represent the aetherial molecules, in the interior of the mass - encumbered by the metallic particles which afford a constant obstruction to their motion.

Now the vibrations being excited by friction, or any of the ordinary methods, and in the dir[ectio]n of the arrows, the vibratory motion, is by the elasticity of the medium, propagated on every side. Supposing the metallic & all other conductors removed, the resistance of the atmosphere would gradually bring the aetherial vib[ratio]ns to rest. Place, however, the conductor ABCD near to the source of motion, and the motion in the direction of the arrows, is immediately & violently corrected: just as, for instance, a pendulum impinging in full swing, against an obstacle. The aetherial particles are there flung back in the contrary direction & with immensely increased velocity, because that motion which, if undisturbed, would have propagated itself gradually over an immense space, is suddenly & violently confined to a very small space. Hence (by the Undulatory Theory) Light is occasioned, namely by an inconceivably rapid vibration of the ether.

The action of the pointed portion of the metal is this: had the surface, on which the first impulse took place, been large & extended the particles in the interior of the mass might have been able to acquire the velocity of the impinging particles in sufficiently short time to prevent any violent reaction. But since only a very small portion of the metallic mass, receives the first onset, it is unable to communicate that impulse with sufficient rapidity to the interior. Analogous facts are - the different effect of a blow with an iron hammer & a wooden mallet. Another analogous fact is the abrasion caused by the explosion of fulminating compounds on metals. The reason is the same:- the momentum generated is so instantaneous that the particles first struck have not time to communicate the motion - & therefore the violent reaction of the immediately contiguous particles, drives them off.

By this instantaneous & violent reaction, therefore of the point on the vibrating ether, all motion is, in a moment, stopped, or in other words Light is but momentary.

<⁵> Of Bodies as Conductors.

Resistance to motion of the aetherial medium in the interior of any Body may be caused in two ways: viz, by the density of the Body, without regard to the molecular arrangement, or by molecular arrangement, without regard to density. In general the metals act in accordance with their density but even amongst them the crystalline structure, or molecular arrangement has great influence; especially Iron. Glass is an example of the Resistance afforded by molecular arrangement, independent of density.

Now at first sight it appears contradictory to consider the metals for instance as conductors & the atmosphere as a non-conductor, since the latter opposes much less resistance to the motion of the vibrating particles than the former. But it must be carefully remembered that our only knowledge of the relative conducting power is derived from the effect. Now it is universally true as a Dynamical Principle that Force must produce its full effect in some form or other - if the original Force created be small, the result will be so too & vice versâ. Therefore, since it requires but little force to put in motion the aetherial medium when only resisted by the Air, the effect of such motion will be proportionally weak, & in most cases, insensible:- And the Force required to put in motion the Ether when surrounded by dense metallic media, being very great, the effect are proportionally great. Hence though the motion propagated from an electrical machine may spread more rapidly thro’ the air, than thro’ dense metallic masses - yet the principal effect appreciable are in the latter. Nevertheless, the effect even on the air are sensible as when we see the faint light round the silk of the cylinder or occasioned by the resistance of the atmosphere to the vibrations then commencing.

<⁶> Phenomena of Leyden Jar.

The vibrations emanating in every direction from the Machine, producing their principal effect (by last section) in the metallic conductors, are at length arrested by the glass, & a continual pulsatory motion will ensue all over the interior coating of the Jar. If the original excitation is not renewed - the resistance of the air & surrounding bodies will gradually bring the vibrating aether to rest: but if, immediately the charge is given, a metallic communication be opened from the interior to the exterior coating - a violent rush (compared to what takes place in the air) of vibrations takes place from the interior to the exterior - & these being as violently arrested & flung back by the outer surface of the glass - occasion the shock felt by animals & all the other effects of the discharge. In most cases the first collision is sufficient to restore equilibrium - or sensibly so: but if the charge be very intense & the Jar large - the first collision is not sufficient to do this - a 2nd vibration enters from the interior & a 2nd shock is felt: And so on according to the size of the Jar &c. This is what is termed “The Residual Charge”. But again:- the interior of the glass is sustaining (till the communication is made) an uninterrupted series of pulsations, all tending to force their way - or rather to communicate their motion to the aether inside the glass, & so effect a passage through it. This naturally brings the particles of glass into a constrained position, in other words, polarizes it; and if the vibratory motion be very violent, or the glass very thin - fracture ensues.

Moreover, we may reasonably expect that the molecular arrangement of the particles of glass, may in some cases, be so much altered as to effect also the transmission of Light - which depends on this very arrangement. Hence, that arrangement, which in the natural state of the glass opposed those vibrations which constitute Light; is now changed into another arrangement which allows them transmission: or vice versâ.

As Magnetism is merely one form of electricity, the bearing of these views on your recent experiments, will at once be apparent to every one.

<⁷>: Voltaic Electricity.

The vibratory motion of the Ether in Bodies will necessarily depend on the manner in which it is excited. Hence in the Electricity which is excited by Chemical Action - the vibrations will be of a different intensity and follow other laws from the Electricity of Friction. Now what is Chemical Action? Undoubtedly it consists in constantly renewed exertions of Force: (I speak of such Chemical Action as always occurs in Voltaic Batteries). Hence the Dynamical Effect will also consist of constantly renewed vibrations. Now the continually repeated attacks of a small force, may very easily produce effects far beyond those which result from any single & momentary Force, however great. I consider, then, the difference between the Electricity of the common Machine & Voltaic Electricity to consist in difference of the vibrations in the two cases. What the one accomplishes by a single gigantic effort - the other effects by a succession of efforts: and this latter is able to do many things which the other cannot.

<(5)>. Calorific Effects.

The vibratory Ether will, of course, tend to put into a similar state of motion the particles of the Bodies which it pervades. These vibrations (of the material particles) may at length become so rapid as to bring each particle without the sphere of cohesive-attraction: in other words the metal (if it be metal thro’ which the current passes) may be fused. At the same time the vibrations are generally sufficiently rapid to excite the sensation of Light. I suppose Heat as well as Light to be only one of the many modifications of Etherial Vibrations.

<(6)>. Terrestrial Magnetism.

the Earth, rapidly revolving round its axis, must set up a series of currents in the surrounding Etherial medium, & which currents take of necessity, the form of a spiral, or Helix. According to this Theory, then, we have at once, the Earth an Electro-magnet, its own axis would be the axis of the Electrical Helix, provided the Earth had no motion of translation, but only one of Rotation. The Effects of the former have to be considered.