Abstract
SOME experiments were briefly noted in this journal last April1 whereby the high dielectric constant of water was used to indicate variations in the water-content of substances contiguous to a leaky condenser, by means of a resonance method. It would seem that other workers are exploring the same track, with the difference that they draw samples which are placed in special condenser-containers for measurement, whereas I prefer to take full advantage of the method in evading the ubiquitous ‘sampling-error’ so far as possible; even at the sacrifice of some accuracy in the actual determination. Great accuracy is probably unobtainable in any case; the dielectric constant even of free water is not a constant, but the margin of difference between water around 80 and most other common substances below 8 is large enough for most classes of comparative work.
Article PDF
References
W. L. Balls, NATURE, 129, 505, April 2, 1932.
For example, Lattey and Davies, Phil. Mag., 12, 1111; 1931.
Moullin, E. B., "Radio-Frequeuoy Measurements". Griffin, London, 1931.
J. Agric. Sci., 1932.
W. L. Balls, J. Agric. Sci., 1913.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
BALLS, W. Capacitance Hygroscopy and some of its Applications. Nature 130, 935–938 (1932). https://doi.org/10.1038/130935b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/130935b0