;i6 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 738 



The Addition of Acetic Acid to Unsaturated Ey- 



drocarions: Edwabd Kbemees. 

 The Esterification Laiv and Sterio Hindrance 



Hypothesis : M. A. Rosanoff and W. L. Pabgeb. 

 A New Method for Detecting Mutarotation : C. S. 



HUBSON. 



Alkylationof Oyanacetic Ether: John C. Hessleb. 



The Theory of Indicators and the Reactions of 

 Phthaleins and their Salts: E. A. Slagle. 



The Mechanism of Oxime Formation and Hy- 

 drolysis: L. Junius Desha. 



The Determination of Acid Radicals in Esters of 

 Cellulose: R. G. Woodbbidqe, Je., and F. J. 



MOOEE. 



The Condensation of Nitromalonic Aldehyde with 



Urea: WiiiiAM J. Ham;. 

 Some New Terpine Derivations: Geo. B. Feank- 



foeteb. 

 The y-y'Diketonio Acids: J. B. Gabneb. 

 Further Studies in Catalysis in Ester Formation: 



Isaac King Phelps. 

 Removal of Plant Food from Soil by Plants : F. K. 



Cameeon and J. G. Smith. 



physical chemistby section 



Gilbert N. Lewis, cliairman 



The Behavior of the Nickel Anode: E. P. Schoch. 



Starting at tlie equilibrium potential of nickel 

 in neutral nickel sulphate solution, and polarizing 

 anodically witli gradually increasing current densi- 

 ties, the author found that nickel showed what 

 may be called " normal " anodic behavior with 

 very small current densities, but that with larger 

 current densities the active surface appears to be 

 diminished. This diminution of the active surface 

 is due to the discharge of oxygen; and the whole 

 behavior of the nickel anode with large current 

 densities is due to the relation of the areas of the 

 active to the impaired spots. This presents the 

 phenomenon of porosity in a new light. 

 The Temperature Coefficient of the Conductivity 



at Infinite Dilution: John Johnston. 



Value of A„ at a series of temperatures ranging 

 between 0° and 156° were obtained for a number 

 of salts by extrapolating with the aid of the func- 

 tion 1/A=1/A„ + K(0A)«, values of n being 

 chosen so that the graphs were nearly linear. 

 From these were derived values of I, the mobilities 

 of the separate ions. On plotting the values of 

 log I at the various temperatures against the 

 logarithms of the numerical values of the fluidity 

 of water at the corresponding temperatures, 

 straight lines were obtained for all the ions in- 

 vestigated, with the exception of H* and OH", 



where, indeed, abnormality might be expected, as 

 these two ions occupy a quite especial position 

 when water is the solvent. For the others (thir- 

 teen in number, including uni-, di-, tri- and 

 quadrivalent ions), the derivations from linearity 

 are not greater than the error of the separate 

 determinations. Thus this method presents a very 

 convenient means of obtaining the value of I at 

 any intermediate temperature, or of calculating 

 its temperature coefficient, since the temperature 

 coefficient of the fluidity of water is known and 

 may be expressed by a fairly simple formula. 

 The Change in Refractive Index mth Temperature 



— /. ; K. Geoege Falk. 



The refractive indices for the three hydrogen 

 and the sodium lines and the density of diisoamyl, 

 n-heptyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, dimethylaniline, 

 m-butyric acid and acetylacetone were determined 

 at a large number of temperatures between 20° 

 and 70°. The variation was found to be a straight 

 line function of the temperature for all. The 

 change in the refractive powers, using the expres- 

 sions n' — l/d, n — \/d, n^ — 1/ ( reV+ 2 ) tJ, were 

 also calculated. Ethyl acetate gave results indi- 

 cating a change in the equilibrium between the 

 tautomeric forms at higher temperatures. 

 A Modified Oxyhydrogen Ga^ Coulometer : J. W. 



TUEEENTINE. 



The Walter-Neumann, single tube, oxyhydrogen 

 gas coulometer, with adjustable leveling tube, has 

 been modified, so that the platinum electrodes, in 

 the old form fastened to a short length of pla- 

 tinum wire which wag sealed in the glass walls of 

 the coulometer and terminated on the outside in 

 a small loop, are sealed in glass tubes and are 

 inserted into the coulometer through rubber stop- 

 pers held in side arms. 



Objectionable features of old form: (I) Elec- 

 trical connection was made with coulometer by 

 hooking wires in the loops. This gave poor con- 

 tact and high local resistance and (2) consequent 

 heating which caused alternate expansion and 

 contraction, and soon resulted in the cracking of 

 the glass and the breaking out of the electrodes, 

 (3) or the platinum loops soon broke oflf. (4) In 

 either case the apparatus became useless and the 

 platinum electrodes had to be discarded. 



Advantages claimed for the modified form: (I) 

 Electrodes are adjustable and (2) may be removed 

 and cleaned. (3) Due to the elimination of the 

 fragile seal in the wall of the main tube, the 

 apparatus is more durable. (4) In case of break- 

 age, the platinum parts are not " scrapped," but 

 are transferred to a new tube. This requires the 



