SYSTEMS INTERMEDIATE 371 



ammonia is identical with the positive ion of a solution of potassium 

 amide in this solvent. In other words, there is present in a solution of 

 metallic potassium a positive carrier identical with the positive carrier 

 in potassium amide. 



The positive carrier, then, in a solution of a metal in liquid ammonia, 

 is nothing other than the normal ion of this metal and its properties in 

 the metal solution differ in no wise from its properties in a solution of 

 its salts. On the other hand, it is evident that, as the negative carrier 

 moves toward the anode from the potassium solution to the potassium 

 amide solution, free metallic potassium, that is, metallic potassium not 

 chemically combined, is carried in the direction of the negative current 

 toward the anode. The metallic properties of the solutions of the alkali 

 metals in ammonia, therefore, must be due, primarily, to the negative 

 carrier, and since free metallic potassium is present in that portion of 

 the solution where blue color is present, it follows that this metal is 

 generated by interaction between the potassium ion of the potassium 

 amide solution and the negative carrier present in the solution of metallic 

 potassium which, under the action of the potential gradient, moves into 

 the potassium amide solution. This negative carrier, which in all like- 

 lihood is identical with the negative electron, is the essential metallic 

 constituent of metallic substances. 



There evidently exists in a metal solution an equilibrium of the type 



M + + e- = Me, 



where M + is the metallic ion, e~ is the negative ion (negative electron) 

 and Me is the neutral metallic atom. In the amide solution, as is well 

 known, there exists an equilibrium according to the equation: 



M + + NH 2 - = MNH 2 . 



It is evident that, as the negative carrier e~ is carried into the metal 

 amide solution, equilibrium establishes itself between this carrier and the 

 other molecular species present. In other words, the reaction takes place: 



The total amount of free metal in the solution at any time is e~ + Me. 

 To what extent the metal atoms are ionized into normal positive ions 

 and negative electrons will appear below. 



4. The Relative Speed of the Carriers in Metal Solutions. If the 

 conduction process in metals consists essentially in a transfer of charge 

 due to the motion of the negative carriers, since no material effects are 

 observable at the boundaries between different metallic conductors, it 





