esults obtained from the voltaic battery by MM.. Gay-Lussac and
Thenard, and given in the first forty-five pages of their 'Recherches
Physico-Chimiques'. Although the following results are generally of the
same nature, yet the advancement made in this branch of science of late
years, the knowledge of the definite action of electricity, and the more
accurate and philosophical mode of estimating the results by the
equivalents of zinc consumed, will be their sufficient justification.

1137. _Nature and strength of the acid._--My battery of forty pairs of
three-inch plates was charged with acid consisting of 200 parts water and 9
oil of vitriol. Each plate lost, in the average of the experiments, 4.66
equivalents of zinc for the equivalent of water decomposed in the
volta-electrometer, or the whole battery 186.4 equivalents of zinc. Being
charged with a mixture of 200 water and 16 of the muriatic acid, each plate
lost 3.8, equivalents of zinc for the water decomposed, or the whole
battery 152 equivalents of zinc. Being charged with a mixture of 200 water
and 8 nitric acid, each plate lost 1.85, equivalents of zinc for one
equivalent of water decomposed, or the whole battery 74.16 equivalents of
zinc. The sulphuric and muriatic acids evolved much hydrogen at the plates
in the trough; the nitric acid no gas whatever. The relative strengths of
the original acids have already been given (1127.); but a difference in
that respect makes no important difference in the results when thus
expressed by equivalents (1140.).

1138. Thus nitric acid proves to be the best for this purpose; its
superiority appears to depend upon its favouring the electrolyzation of the
liquid in the cells of the trough upon the principles already explained
(905. 973, 1022.), and consequently favouring the transmission of the
electricity, and therefore the production of transferable power (1120.).

1139. The addition of nitric acid might, consequently, be expected to
improve sulphuric and muriatic acids. Accordingly, when the same trough was
charged with a mixture of 200 water, 9 oil of vitriol, and 4 nitric acid,
the consumption of zinc was at each plate 2.786, and for the whole battery
111.5, equivalents. When the charge was 200 water, 9 oil of vitriol, and 8
nitric acid, the loss per plate was 2.26, or for the whole battery 90.4,
equivalents. When the trough was charged with a mixture of 200 water, 16
muriatic acid, and 6 nitric acid, the loss per plate w