CHAPTER XVI. 

 ELECTKIC VIEW OF MATTER (CONTINUED). 



Nature of Cohesion. 



WE shall now try to trace some of the consequences 

 of the view that all atoms of matter are built up of 

 the same fundamental units, and are composed 

 of aggregates of a definite number of variously 

 grouped negative and positive charges, which for 

 present purposes we may call electrons, even though 

 some are positive arranged in kinetic patterns and 

 keeping apart by reason of the vigour of their own 

 orbital motions. 



At first it is not easy to do more than imagine 

 the electrons to be statically grouped into regular 

 patterns. It is easy to conceive this on the hypo- 

 thesis No. 3 of last chapter ; for though in free space 

 they would be unstable or disperse, their possible 

 groupings are easily calculated in a positive men- 

 struum ; for instance they might be arranged in 

 triangular or square or hexagonal order ; with 

 other allied three-dimensional possibilities familiar 

 to students of crystallography. See, for instance, 

 William Barlow, Brit. Assoc. Report, 1896, p. 731; 

 also Lord Kelvin, Phil. Mag., March 1902, and 

 elsewhere. 



