CHAPTER V. 



TRANSITION TO THE QUANTITATIVE ASPECTS OF MATTER 

 THROUGH INCREASE IN QUALITATIVE CHARACTERIS- 

 TICS. 



~| FERE, we may now observe, there is already presented 

 -* *- to us the ground of the varying states of "matter," 

 or the extended. Attraction tends toward concentration, 

 repulsion toward diffusion, of matter. According, then, 

 as the former or the latter predominates at any given 

 moment in any given portion of matter, the tension will 

 be increased and the volume diminished, or the contrary. 

 With the predominance of attraction, the given portion 

 of matter will be in the solid state. With the approach 

 toward a balance of the two complementary modes of 

 force, the solid will become viscid. With further increase 

 of the relative degree of repulsion, the liquid state will be 

 reached ; and the continuance of increase in this tendency 

 must result at length in the matter assuming the gaseous 

 state. 



Similarly, on the contrary, relative increase of attrac- 

 tion over repulsion must result in a given gaseous mass 

 becoming condensed into a liquid, and again in the liquid 

 passing into the solid state. Of this, indeed, something 

 more remains to be said at a later stage of our inquiry. 



What has just been said concerning the relation between 

 attraction and repulsion brings us to note this further 

 point: That there is doubtless more in the distinction 



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