When a substance, by friction or by any other means, acquires the property of attracting other bodies, in what state is it said to be?
It is said to be electrified, or electrically excited; and its motion towards other bodies, or of other bodies towards it, is ascribed to a force called electric attraction.
Does an electrified body exercise any other influence than an attractive one?
It does; for it will be found that light substances, after touching the electrified body, will recede from it just as actively as they approached it before contact. This is termed electric repulsion.
Thus, if we take a dry glass rod, rub it well with silk, and present it to a light pith ball, or feather, suspended from a support by a silk thread, the ball or feather will be attracted towards the glass. After it has adhered to it a moment, it will fly off, or be repelled. The same will happen if sealing-wax be rubbed with dry flannel, and a like experiment made; but with this remarkable difference, that when the glass repels the ball, the sealing-wax attracts it, and when the wax repels, the glass will attract. These phenomena are examples of electrical attraction and repulsion.
What is a non-electrified body?
One that holds its own natural quantity of electricity undisturbed.
What happens when an electrified body touches one that is non-electrified?
The electricity contained in the former is transferred in part to the latter.
Thus, on touching the end of a suspended silk-thread with a piece of excited wax, the silk will be excited, as will be shown by its moving towards a book, piece of metal, or any other object placed near it.