REED — RELATION BETWEEN VALENCE & ATOMIC WEIGHT. 66^ 



These elements would be arranged in seven groups of fifteen 

 each. The number of elements required for each whorl of the 

 helix is seven, each representing a distinct group. 



The successive elements in any single whorl form a series, and 

 may be conceived to represent successively increasing velocities 

 of rotation of a primordial atom or particle of ether — possibly the 

 vortex-ring of Sir W. Thompson. Each successive whorl would 

 represent an octave^ and the successive elements in any one group 

 represent harmonics of the first or lowest in that group. 



According to this conception N<7, K, R<5, and Ci', are respec- 

 tively the»first, second, fifth and eighth harmonics of L/; F, C/, 

 Br, and I, the first, second, fifth and eighth harmonics of some 

 unknown element marked j'l, whose atomic weight is 3. 



P, V(?), A^, N^, S<5, Bi, and U(?), are harmonics of N ; and 

 so with the remaining groups, the fundamentals being H, j ^ (un- 

 known), L/, Be, B, C, and N. 



The complete expression of the law would require each ele- 

 ment to be represented by two well marked and characteristic 

 valences, one electro-positive and the other electro-negative, 

 whose difference is eight units. This we find to be true of a con- 

 siderable number of elements, those enumerated on page 651. 

 But, as would naturally be expected, we have not yet observed 

 the electro-negative or minimum valence in the highly electro- 

 positive elements. 



The question now arises, why are not all the elements arranged 

 on a single line, instead of the artiads on one and the perissads 

 on another? 



Let us confine our attention to that part of the curve between 

 O and Ca, as it seems to represent the law most perfectly. It is 

 shown in Fig. 6. 



If we increase the valence of the perissads in this part of the 

 curve by a half unit, they fall with the artiads on the curve, z tan 



« = R^ — ^^ . This may mean that the valence of the joerissads 

 is half a unit less than that required by their atomic weights. 



If polarity is due to rotation of any kind, we may say a peris- 

 sad is half a revolution behind the opposite artiad. 



The curve R^ = ^ztana is also worthy of mention. The ele- 



