UNPUBLISHED FRAGMENTS. 423 



case the law of Henry and eq. [4] do not hold, it may be on account 

 of a difference in the molecular weight in the gas and the liquid, and 

 that the eq. [4] may still hold if we give the proper value to M 

 in that equation, viz., the molecular weight in the liquid. 



But as these considerations, although natural, fall somewhat short 

 of a rigorous demonstration, let us scrutinize the case more carefully. 

 It is easy to give an a priori demonstration of Henry's law and 

 equation [4] in cases in which there is only one molecular formula for 

 the solutum in liquid and in gas, so long as the density both in liquid 

 and in gas is so small that we may neglect the mutual action of the 

 molecules of the solutum. In such a case the molecules of the solutum 

 will be divided between the liquid and the gas in a (sensibly) constant 

 ratio (the volume of the liquid and gas being kept constant), simply 

 because every molecule, moving as if there were no others, would 

 spend the same part of its time in the vapor and in the liquid as if 

 the others were absent, and the number of the molecules being large, 

 this would make the division sensibly constant. This proof will 

 apply in cases in which the law of Henry can hardly be experi- 

 mentally demonstrated, because the density of the solutum as gas is so 

 small as to escape our power of measurement. Also in cases in which 

 a semi-permeable diaphragm is necessary, an arrangement very con- 

 venient for theoretical demonstrations, but imperfectly realizable in 

 practice. (Also in cases in [which a] difference of level is necessary, 

 with or without diaphragm.) But in every case when the law of 

 Henry is demonstrably untrue for dilute solutions, we may be sure 

 that there is more than one value of the molecular weight of the 

 solutum in the phases considered. 



This theoretical proof will apply to cases in which experimental 

 proof is impossible : 



(1) When the density in gas is too small to measure. 



(2) When the density in gas is too great, either the total density or 



the partial. (Diaphragm or vertical column.) 



(3) When the liquid (or other phase) is sensitive to pressure and 

 not in equilibrium with the gas. 



Will the various theorems exist in these cases ? 

 If one or both appear in a larger molecular form, the densities of 

 y M and y M ' * are proportional and 



At 



hence one equation of form, /% = - log y M proves all. 



[7 refers to the liquid, and 7' to the gaseous phase. ] 



