Chemistry". — " 21ie Influence of Intensive, Drying on Internal 

 Conversion" . I. By Prof. A. Smits. (Communicated by 

 Prof. P. Zeeman). 



(Communicated at the meeting of March 24, 1923). 



In December 1921 a communication was published in the 100"' 

 volume of the Z. f. pliysik. Chemie under the same title as is given 

 above. In manuscript this communication was at first more extensive, 

 for it also contained a |)ossible explanation of the great influence 

 found by Baker of intensive drying on the chemical reactivity of 

 gases, and besides a discussion of the sa-ammoniac problem '). The 

 reason why for the present I withheld this part was as follows. 



I was at the time still in doubt whether in intensive drying it 

 should be assumed that a fixation or a shifting of the inner 

 equilibrium takes place. The results of Baker's researches') published 

 then spoke greatly in favour of a shifting, but at lirsl this assumption 

 seemed open to objections, because it is then necessary to assume that 

 the slightest trace of moisture can give rise to a great displacement 

 of the inner equilibrium. 



Afterwards, wlieii Baker had published') a new series ol' experi- 

 ments, it seemed nevertheless the most probable conclusion tliat here 

 a shifting of the inner equilibrium takes place, which from a 

 thermodynamic standpoint means that very much work is required 

 to withdraw the last traces of water from a system. 



Accordingly I showed in the English and in the French edition 

 of the Theory of Allotropy, in which I devoted a chapter to Baker's 

 experiments, that in my opinion intensive drying gives rise to a 

 displacement of the internal equilibrium. Since then my own investi- 

 gation, which I carried out with some of my pupils, has contirmed 

 this supposition. ^ 



The explanation of the influence of intensive drying on reactivity, 

 which I left unpublished so far, is exceedingly simple, for we 



1) Also the influence of intensive drying on the properties of Sal ammoniac, 

 becomes explicable, wlien this substance is assumed to contain two kinds of 

 molecules, one of which is dissociable, and the other is not. 



») Trans. Ghem. Soc. 51, 2339 (1903). 



S) Trans. Chem. Soc. 121, 568 (1922). 



