The origin of the electrical charge on small particles in water

Abstract

The surface of an air bubble is a particularly simple one at which to examine the electrical conditions which attend all small particles when immersed in a liquid. An air bubble may be considered as a type of coarse suspensoid, which, on being immersed in water, acquires a charge and moves in an electric field as if negatively electrified. The present work is a continuation of that already published ('Roy. Soc. Proc.,' A, vol. 106, p. 315 (1924)) and deals chiefly with the charge on the bubble immediately after it enters the liquid; this is examined experimentally and also theoretically. In addition, a new method of calculating the potential difference between the bubble surface and the interior of the liquid is suggested.