108 PROPERTIES OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING SYSTEMS 



trations becomes extremely small and it is uncertain whether or not the 

 function approaches a limiting value other than zero. The interpreta- 

 tion of the results, moreover, is rendered uncertain owing to the possible 

 formation of intermediate ions. It might be expected, however, that, 

 in the limit, the intermediate ions will disappear and the function will 

 correspond to the usual mass-action function. 



Although the curves become quite complex for salts of higher type, 

 it appears, nevertheless, that the conductance curves at higher concen- 

 trations have the same general form as for salts of simpler type, and that 

 they vary in a similar manner as the nature of the solvent varies. In 

 the following tables are given values for the conductances of Cu(N0 3 ) 2 

 and K 2 Hg(CN) 4 in ammonia. 27 



TABLE XXXVIII. 

 CONDUCTANCE OF TERNARY SALTS IN NH 3 AT 33. 



Cu(N0 3 ) 2 K 2 Hg(CN) 4 



FA FA 



1.5 98.3 2.0 198.8 



4.9 82.9 5.0 182.7 



9.9 78.2 19.6 159.8 



19.9 80.9 49.8 169.2 



323.0 151.8 590.0 298.9 



1300.0 213.7 4545.0 493.1 

 11190.0 417.0 

 22450.0 498.0 



It will be observed that, in both cases, the conductance passes through 

 a minimum value at concentrations in the neighborhood of 0.1 normal. 

 In other words, an increase in the conductance with the concentration at 

 the higher concentrations is not confined to binary electrolytes, but is 

 more or less typical of all electrolytes. It appears, therefore, that the 

 general form of the conductance function is the same for electrolytes of 

 different types. What the precise form of the equation may be, however, 

 has not been determined, since the A values are unknown and the prob- 

 lem is complicated owing to the possible formation of intermediate ions. 



* Franklin, Ztschr. f. phys. Chem. 69, 272 (1909). 



