94 THE WORLD-ENERGY 



intensive quantities, the qualitatively different phases of 

 force-substance known as the elements, and in any given 

 case arbitrarily assumed not to be of the earth's mass. 

 In reality, the mass of the earth holds these force-centers 

 in definite relation to itself/ and in definite relations to one 

 another. Thus many compounds take place " naturally" 

 (the mass and temperature being what they are) which 

 would be impossible as "natural" compounds on the sur- 

 face of a sphere of very much less mass, or of very much 

 greater temperature. In short, all chemical compounds 

 must arise as the realization of inherent relations of 

 attraction and repulsion between definitely determined 

 force-centers, which, doubtless, there is 110 harm in call- 

 ing atoms. And should there be more than one compound 

 possible between any two elements, as in the example of 

 oxygen and nitrogen cited above, it is evident that the 

 several compounds formed must show in the successive 

 groups of atoms that the combining numbers of one or 

 the other element stand to each other in such relation 

 that all after the first are exact multiples of the first. 



The law of multiple proportions, however, presents the 

 external conditions of chemical combinations; or, more 

 precisely, the qualitative relations here presented are 

 figured rather as the relations of extensive quantity. On 

 the other hand, the phase of intensive quantity is shown 

 in affinity, properly speaking in the energy of attraction 

 between the particles themselves. At the same time 

 there is, as must ever be the case, a variation of the 

 intensive quantity presented in the compound, through a 

 variation in the extensive quantity of combination. And 

 this variation of the intensive quantity is precisely what 

 determines the qualitative differences of the several 



