26 



THE MIXTURE OF LIQUIDS IS 



Chemical 

 affinity is 

 the chief 

 cause of 

 mixture. 



arrangement which they occupy, by the surrounding 

 particles of water, they would undoubtedly rise to- 

 wards the surface. In like manner, the particles of 

 salt in the brine are sustained and prevented from 

 sinking by the lighter particles of water which sur- 

 round them. 



Without an attraction, which all the particles of 

 alcohol or of salt must have towards all the parti- 

 cles of water, or all the particles of water must 

 have for all those of salt and alcohol, a uniform 

 mixture cannot even be conceived. If but one 

 particle of alcohol were less powerfully attracted 

 than the surrounding particles, it would rise to the 

 surface ; and in like manner, the particles of salt 

 would, in consequence of their greater specific gra- 

 vity, gradually occupy the bottom of the vessel, 

 were it not that a cause prevents them from rising 

 or falling ; and this cause can be nothing but an 

 attractive force, which retains them in the place 

 where they happen to be. 



The cause which effects a change in the place or 

 in the properties of the ultimate particles or atoms 

 of dissimilar substances, when these particles are in 

 absolute contact, or at infinitely small distances 

 from each other, as well as the cause which mani- 

 fests itself as a resistance to such changes of place 

 or properties, we call CHEMICAL ATTRACTION; and 

 in this sense the mixture of two dissimilar liquids, 

 the simple moistening of a solid body, the penetra- 



