192 NOTICE OF SCHOENBEIN. 



appears as fast as it is proclucecl in the reproduction of ordinary oxygen. Tlie 

 power of combination with metals and other bodies exhibited by ozone becomes 

 a consequence of this hypothesis, inasmuch as separate atoms must from analogy 

 have more combining power with foreign bodies than atoms which are akeady 

 in combination with each other. 



The hypothesis of Clausius is Very suggestive, and with a few supplementary 

 assumptions can be made not only to render a plausible explanation of know'n 

 phenomena, but also to indicate new experiments. It must be stated, however, 

 that it is at variance, as presented in the foregoing sketch, with the experiments 

 of Soret on the density of ozone. This chemist finds, from an elaborate inves- 

 tigation, that when ordinary o-s.ygen is converted into ozone its density is 

 increased instead of being diminished, as it should be, according to the hypoth- 

 esis of Clausius. This result was arrived at by tw'o different methods, that of 

 absorption and that of diffusion. Both gave approximately the same result, 

 from which it appears that the density of ozone is one and a half times that of oxy- 

 gen. According to the hypothesis of Clausius a molecule of oxygen consists of two 

 atoms, and may be represented by 00, while an atom of ozone would be indica- 

 ted by 0. From this it is evident that the density of ozone should be only one- 

 half of that of oxygen. In order to make the hypothesis of Clausius agree with 

 the result obtained by ^oret, we must suppose that while an element of oxygen 

 consists of two atoms, and is represented by 00, an element of ozone con- 

 sists of three atoms represented by 00,0 ; that when by electrical repulsion ox 

 other action, the two atoms of oxygen are separated, one of them immediately 

 unites with a molecule of ordinary oxygen and the other to a second molecule, 

 forming two molecules of ozone out of three molecules of oxygen. Or, in other 

 words, by the decomposition of one of three molecules 00 00 00 of oxygen, and 

 recomposition with the remaining two, we shall have two molecules 00,0 00,0 of 

 ozone. It is not necessary that we should limit a molecule of oxygen to two 

 atoms ; on the contrary, we may suppose that it consists of an indefinite number 

 provided we admit that under the action of electricity or other forces it is 

 divided into two portions, each containing an equal number of atoms. In the 

 present state of science, if we adopt the atomic constitution of matter, we must 

 consider what was fonnerly assumed as the ultimate atoms of bodies, as groups* 

 of atoms held in relative position by attracting and repelling forces. It is only 

 by an assumption of this kind that we are enabled to obtain a mechanical con- 

 ception of matter in any degree applicable to various chemical and physical 

 phenomena.] J. H. 



