and this would be the greatest intensity of magnetization of which the iron is capable.
In the unmagnetized state of ordinary iron Weber supposes the axes of its molecules to be placed indifferently in all directions.
To express this, we may suppose a sphere to be described, and a radius drawn from the centre parallel to the direction of the axis of each of the n molecules. The distribution of the extremities of these radii will express that of the axes of the molecules. In the case of ordinary iron these n points are equally distributed over every part of the surface of the sphere, so that the number of molecules whose axes make an angle less than a with the axis of x is
and the number of molecules whose axes make angles with that of x, between α and α + dα is therefore
This is the arrangement of the molecules in a piece of iron which has never been magnetized.
Let us now suppose that a magnetic force X is made to act on the iron in the direction of the axis of x, and let us consider a molecule whose axis was originally inclined a to the axis of x.
If this molecule is perfectly free to turn, it will place itself with its axis parallel to the axis of x, and if all the molecules did so, the very slightest magnetizing force would be found sufficient to develope the very highest degree of magnetization. This, however, is not the case.
The molecules do not turn with their axes parallel to x, and this is either because each molecule is acted on by a force tending to preserve it in its original direction, or because an equivalent effect is produced by the mutual action of the entire system of molecules.
Weber adopts the former of these suppositions as the simplest, and supposes that each molecule, when deflected, tends to return to its original position with a force which is the same as that which a magnetic force D, acting in the original direction of its axis, would produce.
The position which the axis actually assumes is therefore in the direction of the resultant of X and D.
Let APB represent a section of a sphere whose radius represents, on a certain scale, the force D.
