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| | Helmholtz |
 | | When Faraday began to study the phenomena of decomposition by the galvanic current, which of course were considered by Berzelius as among the firmest supports of his theory, he put a very simple question- the first question, indeed, which every chemist speculating about electrolysis ought to have thought of. |
 | | Then he compared the amount of decomposition in cells containing different electrolytes, and he found it exactly proportional to the chemical equivalents of the elements, which were either separated or converted into new compounds. |
 | | Conversely, a decomposition of the compound substance requires work, because it restores the energy, for when the hydrogen is burned in the oxygen, they unite, form water, and develop a great amount of heat. |
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