24 Froeeedifigs of the Royal Physical Society. 



either from adjoining elements, whether simple or in combina- 

 tion, or from the sun, is just chemical affinity and combina- 

 tion. 



4. The forms and states of matter thus depend on this 

 action. 



The sun is thus striving to force or keep matter in the 

 gaseous and liquid form. So those elements found only in 

 such conditions have the most receptivity for sun-heat. The 

 earth's action is to contract and solidify gaseous and liquid 

 matter. A whole group of elements will thus be specified. 



The behaviour of oxygen, carbon, and gold, under this 

 hypothesis will serve to illustrate it. 



The first two typify elements of low atomic weight, which, 

 therefore, readily take heat from the sun, and consequently 

 prefer the gaseous form, when nearly isolated. So soon, 

 however, as they are influenced by metals, or the unique 

 power of the earth (both of which have a greater capacity for 

 taking heat from such elements though not from the sun, 

 neither do they retain it), liquid or solid compounds, such as 

 some of the acids or metallic oxides, may be formed. 



Carbon assumes the gaseous or liquid form only when 

 united with the sun-heat loving oxygen; as the diamond, 

 graphite, or charcoal, it is solid ; in company with oxygen it 

 becomes gaseous as carbonic oxide or di-oxide. 



Gold is heavy, non-heat capacious, and has thus an almost 

 neutral force to the antagonistic heat forces. It forms few 

 compounds, and is an inactive element. So, too, of the allied 

 heavy metals. 



In tabular form, this theory stands thus : 



Sun, source of positive electricity, Earth, source of negative electricity; 



gaseity, latent heat, capacity, mechani- resistance to mechanical motion ; so- 



cal motion ; has affinity to elements lidity ; contraction ; latent coldness ; 



with small atomicity, and of gaseous has affinity to heavy metallic elements 



or liquid form. or compounds. 



Mr Taylor objected to the theory, because it contradicted 

 the new dynamical theory of heat, it confounded mechanical 

 attraction or cohesion with chemical affinity, and no solid basis 

 of experimental proof had been given for it. Sir Isaac Newton 

 and James Watt had both anticipated the idea of an element 

 deriving essential properties from some external source. 



