HIGH FREQUENCY AND HIGH POTENTIAL CURRENTS. 267

to the molecule is proportionate to that density. I conclude fromthis that the total energy lost must be proportionate to the pro-duct of the frequency and the square of the electric density; butthis law needs experimental confirmation. Assuming the pre-ceding considerations to be true, then, by rapidly alternating thepotential of a body immersed in an insulating gaseous medium,any amount of energy may be dissipated into space. Most ofthat energy then, I believe, is not dissipated in the form of longether .waves, propagated to considerable distance, as is thoughtmost generally, but is consumed—in the case of an insulatedsphere, for example—in impact and collisional losses—that is,heat vibrations—on the surface and in the vicinity of the sphere.To reduce the dissipation, it is necessary to work with a smallelectric density—the smaller, the higher the frequency.

But since, on the assumption before made, the loss is dimin-ished with the square of the density, and since currents of veryhigh frequencies involve considerable waste when transmittedthrough conductors, it follows that, on the whole, it is better toemploy one wire than two. Therefore, if motors, lamps, or de-vices of any kind are perfected, capable of being advantageouslyoperated by currents of extremely high frequency, economicalreasons will make it advisable to use only one wire, especially ifthe distances are great.

When energy is absorbed in a condenser, the same behaves asthough its capacity were increased. Absorption always existsmore or less, but generally it is small and of no consequence aslong as the frequencies are not very great. In rising extremelyhigh frequencies, and, necessarily in such case, also high poten-tials, the absorption—or, what is here meant more particularlyby this term, the loss of energy due to the presence of a gaseousmedium—is an important factor to be considered, as the energyabsorbed in the air condenser may be any fraction of the suppliedenergy. This would seem to make it very difficult to tell fromthe measured or computed capacity of an air condenser its actualcapacity or vibration period, especially if the condenser is of verysmall surface and is charged to a very high potential. As manyimportant results are dependent upon the correctness of theestimation of the vibration period, this subject demands the mostcareful scrutiny of other investigators. To reduce the probableerror as much as possible in experiments of the kind alluded to,it is advisable to use spheres or plates of large surface, so as to