174 Dr. Wright .-mil M- >si>. Thompson and Leon. [Feb. 



III. "On Certain Ternary Alloys. Part IV. On a Method of 

 Graphical Representation (suggested by Sir G. G. Stokes) 

 of the way in which certain Fused Mixtures of Three 

 Metals divide themselves into Two different Ternary 

 Alh>\s: with further Experiments suggested thereby." 

 My C. R. ALDER WRIGHT, D.Sc., F.R.S., Lecturer on 

 Chemistry and Physics in St. Mary's Hospital Medical 

 School ; C. THOMPSON. F.I.C., F.C.S. ; and J. T. LEON, 

 B.Sc., F.C.S., Assistant Lecturer on Physics and Demon- 

 strator of Chemistry in St. Mary's Hospital Medical School. 

 Received January 29, 1891. 



A method of graphically representing the results of the experi- 

 ments described in the previous portions of these researches 

 been kindly suggested to one of us by Sir G. G. Stokes, founded on a 

 principle which he regards as self-evident. We subjoin a note which 

 he has been so good as to draw up for us, explaining the application 

 of this method, and then describe some further experiments which 

 we have instituted with a view to test the correctness of the assumed 

 principle. 



Note on a Graphical Representation of the Results of Dr. Alder 

 Wright's Experiments on Ternary Alloys. By Sir G. G. 

 STOKES, Bart., F.R.S. 



Suppose three liquids such as water, ether, and alcohol, of which 

 the third is miscible in all proportions with either of the others, are 

 mixed together, the temperature being 1 kept constant. According to 

 circumstances, the mixture forms a single liquid mass, or separates 

 into two. In the latter case, if we suppose that the liquids had been 

 merely gently poured together, and imagine the upper and under 

 portions separately to be homogeneous to start with, this state of 

 things would not remain ; an alteration of composition would take 

 place close to the surface of separation on both sides, depending on 

 the relative solubilities, Ac., of the ingredients. If now the two 

 altered strata were mixed up with the rest of the portions to which 

 they respectively belong, the same thing would go on again, and so 

 on till a condition was reached in which what we may call an 

 equilibrium of composition on the two sides of the surface of separation 

 had been attained. As this equilibrium depends only on the molecular 

 forces, which are insensible at sensible distances, it is evident that 

 the equilibrium would not be disturbed by removing a part of either 

 the upper or the under liquid, or by adding to it liquid of exactly the 



