Influence of background ions on the audio streaming potentials produced by human hairs

Summary form only given. Human hair, unaltered by dyes or permanents, was collected to study the influence of various cations on the streaming potentials produced by pressure waves in the audio frequency range. The movement of potassium and sodium cations at the hair interface produced potentials which were markedly different for the two cations. It appears that the increased permeability and binding of K ⁺ lowers the streaming potential obtained for a given concentration compared to the Na⁺ cations which can remain unbound in the diffuse layer of the interfacial double layer