232 CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATIONS 



is afforded even by simple bodies, that in the forma- 

 tion of combinations, the force with which the 

 combining elements adhere to one another is 

 inversely proportional to the number of simple 

 atoms in the compound molecule. Thus, protoxide 

 af manganese by absorption of oxygen is converted 

 into the sesquioxide, the peroxide, and manganic 

 and hypermanganic acids, the number of atoms of 

 oxygen being augmented by 1, by 1, by 2, and by 

 5* But all the oxygen contained in these com- 

 pounds, beyond that which belongs to the protoxide, 

 is bound to the manganese by a much more feeble 

 affinity ; a red heat causes an evolution of oxygen 

 from the peroxide, and the manganic and hyper- 

 manganic acids cannot be separated from their 

 bases without undergoing immediate decomposition. 



There are many facts which prove, that the most 

 simple inorganic compounds are also the most 

 stable, and undergo decomposition with the greatest 

 difficulty, whilst those which are of a complex com- 

 position yield easily to changes and decompositions. 

 The cause of this evidently is, that in proportion 

 to the number of atoms which enter into a com- 

 pound, the directions in which their attractions 

 act will be more numerous. 



Whatever ideas we may entertain regarding mat- 

 ter in general, the existence of chemical proportions 

 removes every doubt respecting the presence of 

 certain limited groups or masses of matter which 

 we have not the power of dividing. The particles 

 of matter called equivalents in chemistry are not 



