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иAn actual member of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences and professor of the Medical Academy of Surgery, he was always in the course of all the achievements of the world scientific thought, he mastered its most progressive ideas and contributed much to the cause of science. His good knowledge of Latin, English, French and German greatly helped him in doing this.

Petrov’s investigations on the nature of the luminocity of bodies which is called luminescence are widely known. This problem occupied the minds of the progressive scientists tending to devine its nature during

interests was extremely wide. ForДexample, he carried out an extensive work, practically proving Lavoisier’s theory of oxygen and, besides, studied the oxidation of various bodies.

many centuries.

Having carried on many experiments and tests on luminescence, Petrov published a great number of articles on this subject. According to Academician Vavilov’s conclusion, he succeded in dividing the two con-

ceptions: luminescence and semiluminescence. The range of his scientific И

Up to the 90-ties of the 18-th century it was only immovable distribution of electrical charges in bodies that was known. In 1791 Luigi Gal-

vani discovered the electrical current, i.e., the motion of electrical charges throuth conductors. Galvani was succeded by Volta who carried out a good deal of investigations in the field of Galvanic electricity. In 1800 Volta constructed an apparatus known to everybody at present as the voltaic pile.

Petrov’s attentoin was immediately drawn to the first generator of electric current and he built a gigantic voltaic pile of his own. Having constructed the generator of Galvanic electricity of unusual size, the Russian

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investigator was able to make many discoveries of great importence. Petrov’s book (1802) in which he clearly described his battery made him an innovator in this field of science and enabled everybody to make a battery and to carry on experiments with it.

Only electrical sparks jumping between two electrodes were known before Petrov’s time. In 1802 something entirely different was discovered by him, namely – the permanent flame, setting up between two char-coals under current. He pointed out the possibility of using the electric arc lighting. Three years before the famous London voltaic pile was constructed, the Russian innovator had constructed his own one having 100 Galvanic

Сcouples more than that presented by Davy.

иPetrov was the first to discover the possibility of getting metals out of ores by means of electricity. The very fact of these discoveries gives the right to call Petrov a pioneer of modern electrical engineering and electrical metallurgy.

The electric arc discovered by Petrov became later the first source of

electric lighting put to service. Another Russian innovator F. Yablochkov used this idea in his electical lighting known abroad under the name of the “Russian Light”.

cence, devine,бАscientific, extensive, oxygen, oxidation, charge, current, conductor, apparatus, voltaic, pile, Galvanic, generator, gigantic, spark, electrode, permanent.

2. Прочтите следующие слова из текста:

electricity, achievement, contribute, luminosity, investigation, lumines-

3. Найдите синонимы, приведитеДпримеры их употребления.

To be called, to achieve, broad, different, age, movement, research, branch, uncommon, constsnt, to show, well known, pair, to reach, motion, field, to point out, wide, various, to be named, unusual, investigation, permanent, couple, century.

И

4. Исправьте предложения. Начинайте свой ответ со следующих выражений:

Far from it. I fully agree. I differ from you. I doubt it. Nothing of the kind. If I remember rightly... Exactly so.

1. Petrov was the follower of Lomonosov in studying metallurgy in our country.

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5.предложенияСоставьте , используя следующие слова и словосочетан я:

electric lighting put to survice.

to deserve theбАright, a great number of, to draw the attention, a good deal, to put to service.

10. Petrov is a pioneer of modern electricel engineering.

6. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. Whose follower was V.V. Petrov? 2. What name does he fully deserve? 3. What helped him greatly in his scientificДwork? 4. Which of Petrov’s investigations are widely known? 5. What did Petrov succeed in according to Academician Vaviliv’s conclusion? 6. What was known about the distribution of electrical charges in bodies up to the 90-ties of the 18-th century? 7. When was the electric current discovered? 8. What do you know about Volta’s investigations? 9. What device did Petrov build? 10. When did Petrov’s book appear? 11. What was discovered by Petrov in 1802?

12.What device became the first source of electric lighting put to service?

13.What other discoveries by Petrov do you know? 14. What Russian innovator used Petrov’s idea? И

7. Переведите на английский язык.

1. На прошлой неделе мы читали об исследованиях и открытиях знаменитого русского ученого В.В. Петрова. 2. Он внес большой вклад в развитие электротехники. 3. Знание иностранных языков очень помогло ему в работе. 4. Он интересовался очень многими научными проблемами. 5. Электрическая дуга, открытая Петровым, была пер-

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вым источником электрического света. 6. Петров был первым, кто открыл возможность получения металлов из руд с помощью электричества.

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