Second referee's report by George Carey Foster, on a paper 'The resistive and electromotive forces of the electric arc' by William Duddell

Description

Sectional committee: [Physics and chemistry]

As far as he knows, this paper gives the first satisfactory measurements of the resistance and electromotive force of the electric arc between carbon electrodes for various length of arc and strengths of current. These are valuable results and the experimental work by which they are established seems to have been carried out with great care, skill and industry. On these he Foster considers the paper a sufficiently distinct step in the advancement of natural knowledge to be worthy of publication in the Philosophical Transactions. The form of the work is still unsatisfactory though apparently it has been shortened a great deal since it was first presented. Pages one to nine might be much compressed. The following parts of the paper might be omitted without loss: pages 28-29 discussing Frith and Rodger's work; pages 42-45 containing an inconclusive discussion of the origin of the back electromotion of the arc; perhaps Appendix I. Points such as these are so very much matters of individual opinion or taste that Foster hesitates to make any recommendation that the paper should be published dependent upon compliance with these suggestions. If the paper is published the diagrams and curves should be given. Some of these, especially curves I and II, are very long, but if these were divided into say, the sections, he thinks they could all be reproduced on a sufficiently large scale on unfolded plates of Philosophical Transactions size.

[Published in Philosophical Transactions A, 1904].

Endorsed on recto as received 8 February 1904.

Reference number

RR/15/180

Earliest possible date

07 February 1904

Physical description

Report on paper

Page extent

4 pages

Format

Manuscript