14 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 65 



Attraction between neutral atoms might take place in another way. 



If their positive spheres intersect, thus : 



they will be attracted together. It can be shown, however, that in 

 such a case there would be a tendency to complete coalescence (J. J. 

 Thomson, "The Corpuscular Theory of Matter"); and the diffi- 

 culties involved in such a possibility have already been emphasized 

 in §1. Besides, an attraction of this sort could not explain valence. 



Other suggestions of ways in which stationary valence electrons 

 might account for attraction between neutral atoms have been made 

 — mostly very tentative, and not physically definite enough to be 

 criticised from the present point of view. 



It is evident, then, that while the Kelvin model gives a rough repre- 

 sentation of the HC1 molecule, the cases of union between like atoms 

 are a great difficulty from an electrostatic standpoint. The bond in 

 the H 2 molecule is probably the simplest kind of combination between 

 atoms, and yet it has proved to be the hardest of all to explain. 

 Electrostatic explanations seem to be suited only to an alternate 

 arrangement of the so-called " positive " and " negative " atoms. 

 There is indeed a tendency to such an arrangement, even in organic 

 molecules, aceto-acetic acid being a good example of this ; and the 

 tautomerism and acidic hydrogen atoms 

 + ~~ .+ — characteristic of such groupings are signifi- 



±i 3 U ti 2 U cant. But the assignment of positive and 



III II II II ■ • 



„ negative functions is not usually so easy : 



111 there is difficulty whenever groups of oppo- 

 site nature are attached to the same Carbon 

 atom, or groups of the same nature to contiguous Carbon atoms, as in 

 the molecules 



H-C = C1 3 , H 3 = C-CeeH 3 , o = ch-ch = o. 

 ??—???? — ? ? — 



We are forced to the conclusion that there is a factor in the union of 

 atoms which is unconnected with electrical polarization, and is almost 

 as independent, simple, and ready to hand, as the stroke that is used 

 in a structural formula to represent its action. This is provided by 

 the magneton, which is eminently adapted to function as a "link," 

 for its two sets of forces enable it to hold to its parent atom by 



