Courtot
for his bichromate of potash piles--an arrangement that is very simple,
but, sufficiently well worked out to render the use of it convenient in a
laboratory.
[Illustration: Fig. 1.--COURTOT'S ARRANGEMENT OF THE BICHROMATE PILE.]
Fig. 1 gives the most elementary form. It consists of an earthen vessel
into which dip four carbon plates connected with each other by a copper
ring which carries one of the terminals. In the center there is a
cylindrical porous vessel that contains a very dilute and feebly
acidulated solution of bichromate of potash into which dips a prism of
zinc, which may be lifted by means of a rod when the pile ceases to
operate. It is true that the presence of the porous vessel in the
bichromate of potash element increases the internal resistance, but, as an
offset, although it decreases the discharge, it secures constancy and
quite a long duration for it.
[Illustration: Fig. 2.--COURTOT'S ARRANGEMENT OF THE BICHROMATE PILE.]
The elements thus constituted may be grouped, to the number of six, in a
frame analogous to that shown in the engraving, and, sum total, form a
small sized battery adapted to the current experiments of the laboratory,
and capable of supplying two small four volt lamps for ten or twelve
hours.
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