200 , ELECTRIFICATION OF WATER 



5. We wish to make no definite assumption concerning the origin 

 of the electrification of water and concerning the mechanism whereby 

 ions influence the rate of diffusion of water particles through collo- 

 dion membranes from pure solvent to solution. It will facihtate, 

 however, the presentation of our results if it be permitted to present 

 them in terms of attraction and repulsion of the charged particles of 

 water by the ions. With this reservation we may say that in the low- 

 est concentrations attraction of the electrified water particles by the 

 ions with the opposite charge prevails over the repulsion of the elec- 

 trified water particles by the ions with the same sign of charge as that 

 of the water; while beyond a certain critical concentration the repell- 

 ing action of the ion with the same sign of charge as that of the water 

 particles upon the latter increases more rapidly with increasing con- 

 centration of the solute than the attractive action of the ion with the 

 opposite charge. 



6. It is shown that negative osmosis, i.e. the diminution of the 

 volume of the solution of acids and of alkaHes when separated by 

 collodion membranes from pure water, occurs in the same range of 

 concentrations in which the drop in the curves of neutral salts occurs, 

 and that it is due to the same cause; namely, the repulsion of the 

 electrified particles of water by the ion with the same sign of charge 

 as that of the water. This conclusion is supported by the fact that 

 negative osmosis becomes pronounced when the ion with the same 

 sign of charge as that of the electrified particles of water carries more 

 than one charge. 



