175 
ConpDuUCcTIVITY OF CERTAIN SautTs IN Eruyn AMINE. 
By Epwarp G. MAHIN. 
The conductivities of silver nitrate, lithium chloride and ammonium 
chloride in ethyl amine were measured by Shinn,’ who showed that the 
molecular conductivities change with dilution in an unexpected manner. 
In the case of silver nitrate the molecular conductivity decreases with 
dilution until V—75.15, this being the highest dilution used. The mole- 
cular conductivity of lithium chloride increases with dilution until 
V—0.S67, then decrenses until V=21.08, after which it apparently slightly 
increases. The molecular conductivity of ammonium chloride decreases 
with dilution until V—18.24, after which it increases. These facts would 
not seem remarkable were it not for the concluding words of the author's 
paper. After summarizing the results of his experimental work, he says: 
“From the standpoint of the theory of electrolytic dissociation the 
electrical behavior of solutions in primary and secondary amines and 
in amides, so far as such solutions have been studied, is inexplicable. 
The facts that for one and the same solute the conductivities of solutions 
may not only be very large or very small, but may increase or decrease 
with dilution, or attain maximum or minimum values depending upon 
the specific nature of the solvent, suggest that the role of the solvent in 
the process of the transmission of an electric current through a solution 
is, in all probability, a very active rather than an indifferent one, and 
does pot materially differ from that of the solute. In such event, the 
prevalent conception of ‘molecular conductivity becomes not only mean- 
ingless, but misleading.” 
In arriving at the conclusions here indicated it would seem that the 
author has overlooked certain facts which may not only serve to explain 
the apparent departure from the dilution laws, but which would make 
this departure seem inevitable. It has long been known that the aliphatic 
amines are strongly basic substances, forming simple salts analogous to 
the ammonium salts, as well as complex metallic salts which are ani- 
logous to those where hydrogen of the ammonium radicle is substituted 
by a metal. Indeed, this salt formation is to be expected since the ali- 
tee ehyse Chit fo oot. 
