DILUTION 231 



There is little to choose between the two formulse, although, 

 on the whole, the agreement between the values calculated from 

 formula (iii) and the experimental values is somewhat closer 

 than that between the values calculated from formula (v) and 

 the experimental values. As we shall see, however, the internal 

 evidence which is afforded by the numerical values of the con- 

 stants demonstrates that the true relationship between dilution 

 and conductivity for solutions of the salts which proteins form 

 with bases is that which is expressed by equation (iii); namely 

 that which is characteristic for an electrolyte which yields two 

 ions per molecule. 



As regards the salts which proteins form with acids, the binary 

 formula expressed by equation (iii) yields demonstrably better 

 agreement with the experimental data obtained with salmin 

 sulphate and chloride than the ternary formula expressed by 

 equation (v). The salts which protamins form with acids would 

 therefore appear to yield only two ions, irrespective of the valency 

 of the acid anion with which the protein is combined. On the 

 other hand, the relationship of conductivity to dilution which is 

 displayed by the salts which ovomucoid forms with hydrochloric 

 acid is more adequately expressed by the ternary formula. 



It will be recollected that the constants A and B in equation 

 (iii) represent, respectively, the quantities 



1.037 X 10-- , 1.075 X 10^ 



where u -\- v is the sum of the equivalent migration velocities of 

 the ions in centimeters per second under a potential gradient 

 of 1 volt per centimeter, p is the number of equivalents of the 

 protein salt which is yielded by the neutralization of one equiva- 

 lent of inorganic base or acid, and K is the dissociation constant 



A K 



of the salt. It will be observed that ^ = — We can, therefore, 



i> P 



from the data enumerated in the above tables, compute p (u -f- v) 



and — for each of the salts investigated. The values of these 

 p 



constants follow. 



