1205 



All the functions of the temperature considered approach oo at 

 T=0 or in the neighbourhood of ^=0, and become, tlierefore, 

 very great for low temperature. I. e. in the equation (8), viz. 



pvz=RT 



a—RTbr. 



p would become negative already for comparatively large values of 

 V at very low temperatures. This is, however, practically no 

 objection, for it only means that the boundary line where the 

 saturated vapour cannot exist any longer and condenses to liquid, 

 is shifted more to the right (i. e. to the side of the still greater 

 volumes). The negative values of p then fall within the boundary 

 line in the metastable region as before. 



That a becomes very great, might also be interpreted in this way. 

 At ver}' low temperature, where the molecules with exceedingly 

 small velocity pass through the sphere of attraction, the accumu- 

 lation round a molecule will be very great; these will at last all 

 fall together, which would again mean condensation to liquid. 



And as for the increase of b^j to infinite large, this would entail 

 that the fictitious quantity b in v — b would approach v more quickly 

 than otherwise would have been the case. For in (9^^), viz. b = Ts6^ : 

 : (1 -|- {tsbg : v), the fact that bf, becomes great in consequence of the low 

 temperature, has now the same effect as otherwise the becoming 

 great of t, in consequence of the small volume. I. e. that for a 

 volume V, where else (at high temperatures) the üctitious quantity b 

 would still be near {b^)^, and far from v, this will ?207ü (viz. at low 

 temperatures; already have drawn much nearer to v. This is again 



