1 86 



PECULIAR MOLECULAR GROUPINGS. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



PECULIAR QUALITIES OF COMPOUND SUBSTANCES DE- 

 VELOPED BY VARIOUS RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF 

 THE SAME KINDS OF MOLECULES. 



/ T*HE following table exhibits the remarkable 

 difference in the characteristic properties of 

 well known compound substances, developed by 

 increasing the number of molecules of carbon and 

 hydrogen, by pairs, from four to thirty-four, with a 

 constant quantity of four molecules of oxygen. 



VINEGAR, BUTTER, VEGETABLE OILS, AND FAT PRODUCED 

 BY VARYING THE RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF CARBON, 

 HYDROGEN, AND OXYGEN. 



The presence of four molecules of oxygen in 

 each of these groupings appears to determine their 

 acid property. 



