of the paper. The difference in effect produced by two or three turns, more
or less, could be distinguished with facility.

375. The wire and spatula were then connected with the voltaic apparatus
(369.), the galvanometer being also included in the arrangement; and, a
stronger acid having been prepared, consisting of nitric acid and water,
the voltaic apparatus was immersed so far as to give a permanent deflection
of the needle to the 5-1/3 division (372.), the fourfold moistened paper
intervening as before[A]. Then by shifting the end of the wire from place
to place upon the test paper, the effect of the current for five, six,
seven, or any number of the beats of the watch (369.) was observed, and
compared with that of the machine. After alternating and repeating the
experiments of comparison many times, it was constantly found that this
standard current of voltaic electricity, continued for eight beats of the
watch, was equal, in chemical effect, to thirty turns of the machine;
twenty-eight revolutions of the machine were sensibly too few.

[A] Of course the heightened power of the voltaic battery was
necessary to compensate for the bad conductor now interposed.

376. Hence it results that both in _magnetic deflection_ (371.) and in
_chemical force_, the current of electricity of the standard voltaic
battery for eight beats of the watch was equal to that of the machine
evolved by thirty revolutions.

377. It also follows that for this case of electro-chemical decomposition,
and it is probable for all cases, that the _chemical power, like the
magnetic force_ (36.), _is in direct proportion to the absolute quantity
of electricity_ which passes.