of static caloric are unlocked to the pound of zinc, and the
velocity of oxidation is so low, and the insulation of the vessel so
perfect, that the dynamic caloric is caused to flow outward through
the copper wire.
ELECTRICITY.--What is it? Why, it is dynamic caloric. Now let
us take this oxide of zinc (ZnO) and place it with charcoal in a
reducing apparatus which stands on an insulated table; the apparatus
is then heated, the carbon vaporizes, and this vapor of carbon (C)
robs the oxide of zinc (ZnO) of its oxygen, leaving metallic zinc (Zn)
and carbonic oxide (CO). Now, for every pound of zinc so formed 1,301
units C. of static caloric are transferred from the charcoal to the
zinc and occluded in it. Hence we find that the 1,301 units C. of
caloric which we took out of the zinc, and which we call electricity,
is nothing else but the 1,301 units of static caloric which was
contained in the charcoal and from it set free by oxidation and
transferred to the zinc in the smelting process. Let us follow this
matter a little further. Charcoal is made by burning wood under such
conditions as eliminate the water and hydrogen and leave the carbon as
a residuum which we call charcoal. Thus we find that the caloric
contained in the charcoal, transferred from the charcoal to the zinc,
and from it developed into what we call electricity, was previously
embodied in the wood; and if we study the laws of vegetation, we find
that the atmosphere being charged with carbonic acid (CO_{2}), the
leaves of plants, shrubs, and trees, breathing, take in the CO_{2}, the
sun rays decompose the CO_{2}, set free the oxygen, and supply the
necessary amount of caloric for the condensed state of the carbon.
Pages:
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95