212 Mr. Sylvester on a Method of expressing [Sept. 



Article VIII. 



On a Method of expressing Chemical Compounds by Algebraic 

 Characters. By Mr. Charles Sylvester. 



(To the Editor of the Annals of Philosophy.) 



MY DEAR SIR, 60, Great Riissd-strcct. 



I have often, in conversation with you, mentioned the want 

 of some easy and simple mode of expressing chemical com- 

 pounds, at once showing their elementary constituents. It is 

 well known to mathematicians, that if the relations of quantities 

 under various circumstances had to be expressed by common 

 lanouaoe, it would be a task so laborious as to render most of 

 the operations of analysis impracticable. The notation which I 

 ■would adopt for the expression of chemical compounds is pre- 

 cisely that employed in algebra, excepting that I would use 

 none of the signs hut that of equality, and that should be used 

 only to express the equality of all the elements before and after 

 decomposition. 



The weights of the atoms of the different simple bodies T 

 would represent by letters of the alphabet, not permanently 

 fixed for each, but assumed discretionally, as is the case in 

 algebra, stating; beforehand what letters shall be used for 

 each elementary substance in comparing the bodies which are 

 the subject of examination. These letters I would use to 

 express the compounds precisely as in alegebraic products, by 



{>lacing them together as in forming a word, when the same 

 etter would be repeated in a compound, which would be 

 the case when more than one atom is combined, I would 

 use an exponent, which is a small figure placed above 

 the letter a little to the right side expressing the number of 

 atoms ; as, for instance, if a and b were to represent an atom 

 each of a body, the compound would be expressed by ab ; but 

 if two atoms of a had to combine with b, then arb will express 

 such a compound. 



To make this a little more familiar, we will assume a to be 

 azote, c carbon, o oxygen, h hydrogen, p potassium. Then we 

 shall have ao nitrous oxide, ao- nitrous gas, ao* nitrous acid, 

 and ao b nitric acid. In the same way co is carbonic oxide, and 

 co* carbonic acid. The whole of the compounds of these ele- 

 ments will be as follows : 



ao nitrous acid, 



ao- nitrous o-as, 



ao* nitrous acid, * 



oo 5 nitric acid, 



(ao 5 ) (Po) nitrate potash, 



