( UB ) 



guliir gradation!?. On the other hand however the experiment showed 

 that for the transposition of orthodinitrobenzene a change in the 

 velocityconstant by the addition of a sodium salt is not noticeable. 

 Consequently we arrive at the conclusion, improbable in itself, that 

 of two for the rest perfectly homogeneous reactions, one is under the 

 influence of the electrolytic dissociation while the other is not. More 

 acceptable seems to be the supposition that the theory of the electrolytic 

 dissociation cannot be considered as an element of explanation in 

 all reactions in solutions containing electrolytes and that the trans- 

 positions between substances, which both or one of which behave as 

 an electrolyte may still depend upon other causes than the nature 

 and concentration of the ions. 



To the problems to which we are led by this result, one of the 

 foremost is: what change the conductiveness of alkylatesolutions 

 undergoes by dilution. 



The study of the reaction we treat of here, has still been extended 

 for orthodinitrobenzene and this has also afforded some results which 

 are not unimportant. Some 'observations of an earlier date had 

 shown that the addition of very small quantities of water sometimes 

 greatly alters the qualities of alcohols. Consequently we resolved 

 to equally investigate that influence on methylic and ethylic alcohol. 

 The result was unexpected in many respects. In the first place we 

 saw the reactionconstants continued to exist, even in mixtures of 

 alcohol and water with up to 50 pCt. water. Now it is generally 

 supposed that sodium-alcoholate with only a little water is already 

 transformed, at least partly, in natron and alcohol. If natron had 

 been present we might have expected the formation of nitrophenolate 

 and consequently the two following reactions taking place simulta- 

 neously : 



Cc H4 (i^Oif + Na Co H5 = Co H, NO2 C2 H5 + Na NO2 

 Co Ih (NOs)^ + Na H = Cb H4 NO. OH + Na NO2. 



In the latter case a second mol. natron should have formed the 

 natriumnitrophenolate and consequently the concentration of the 

 natron should be equally diminished. In case of the two reactions 

 running simultaneously an equal velocity might not be expected. With 

 this difference in velocity the equilibrium between Na OH and 

 Na OCo H5 had to be equally altered and so, besides the thiee men- 

 tioned reactions there, should appear a fourth : 



Na C2 H5 + Hg t; Na OH + C2 H5 OH. 



