The cells between the glass plates be ing filled with the proper liquid, each of the above compound plates were made to bestride one of the glass plates, in such order that a zinc and copper plate of two different compound plates, in succession to each other, may occupy each of the cells. All the surfaces are by this contri vance exposed to the action of the liquid, and might be considered double the pow er of a common trough, having the same number of plates.
Little or no advantage was gained by this method. Though there are two sur faces of each metal in each of the cells, it will be evident, from several minor expe riments already given, that two of the surfaces are so completely disconnected as to produce little or no effect. One of the zinc surfaces in this trough is facing the glass on one side the cell, and one of the copper surfaces is similarly situated on the other side.
The trough, therefore, which is repre sented in figure 1, and which has been particularly described, is, for general use, the, most convenient, and in other re spects, the best battery yet introdu ced.
The next thing to be considered, is the management of the galvanic battery. First, all of the cells of the trough must be filled, within about half an inch of the top, with a liquid, composed of water, with about one twenty-fifth part of the muriatic or the nitric acid The plates of the trough are shorter than the depth of the trough by about three-fourths of an inch ; so that the trough may be leaned on one side in the filling, for the purpose of letting the liquid run equally into all the cells.
If a number of troughs are to be con nected together, the communication must be made by arcs of metal, which are in serted into the liquid of one cell of each trough, as represented in fig. 1, at C. In making the connection, it is to be observ ed, that the zinc surface of one trough must correspond with the copper one of another, and the zinc of the latter with copper of a third, and so on. This ar rangement may be better conceived by placing them in the same order, and to end in such a way, that all the zinc surfaces may face one way, and the copper ones the other. After all the troughs are ponnected together, let the two unconnected ends, at which the ex periments are to be made, be as near to gether as possible.
A connection being now formed be tween the two ends, one of which we shall term the zinc end, and the other the copper end, the united energy of the whole will be transmitted through.the connecting medium.