146 ATOMIC PRIiTCIPtBS OP CHEMISTRY. 



Instance in the ipiow the question 18, whether, according to the received 



composition , r • t 



ef water. 'aws ot motion, each one atom ot oxigen should unite to the 



one of hidrogen next to it, or whether 7 atoms of oxigen 

 should leap over all the more proximate atoms of hidrogen 

 to another at a greater distance, and consequently less at- 

 tractive, and that finally only -fth of the number of atoms 

 of hidrogen should be engaged by the oxigen and the rest 

 remain in a state of freedom as before. The former is the 

 conclusion I adopted, and thought it would scarcely require 

 any elucidation ; the latter is thought by Dr. Bostock equally 

 plausible as the former (page 291). However till it can be 

 shown, that a less force can overcome a greater, I must re- 

 fuse my assent. Besides there is another consideration, that 

 has no small weight with me; it is known, that the oxigen 

 carries the greater part of its heat, and in all probability of its 

 repulsion along with it in its combined state; it would 

 therefore be an odd phenomenon, if it could be rendered vi- 

 sible, to see 7 atoms of oxigen surrounding 1 of hidro- 

 gen of equal size, all the atoms of oxigen repelling one 

 another, but retained by an atom of hidrogen at the 

 centre, whilst a number of atoms of hidrogen are around, 

 allequally attractive of oxigen with the one engaged. But 

 the difficulty does not end here : though I am persuaded 

 the relative weights of the hidrogen and oxigen in water 

 are nearly as 1 to 7, 1 by no means assert, that they are ac- 

 curately so. Perhaps Dr. Bostock would prefer the ratio 

 of 15 to 85 ; that is, in the smallest integers, 3 to 17- Now 

 upon this view of the subject we must picture to ourselves 

 3 atoms of hidrogen surrounded by 17 of oxigen as con* 

 stituting 1 atom of water; the remaining 14 atoms of hi- 

 drogen must be conceived to continue in their elastic state 

 as spectators, and not to disturb the equilibrium of the 

 atom of water. This may be the constitution of an atom of 

 water; but it is wonderful, that in the decomposition of it 

 by galvanism, nothing but hidrogen and oxigen should be 

 produced, and never any new combination should arise out 

 of so complex a system of particles as an atom of water 

 exhibits to view. Would it not have been an improvement 

 to have formed a set of atoms on purpose for water, by 

 melting tJ of hidrogen into one, and 17 of oxigen into one? 

 ^^feoth you and your readers will probably think by this 



time^ 



