ATTRACTION AND REPULSION 29 



revolving electrons fly away ; on the other hand, in such 

 atoms as break down, Repulsion has clearly become the 

 dominant force. 1 



The atom, then, is to be regarded as a multiple of electrons 

 united in continuity to the extent that they are bound within 

 the atomic system. But atoms themselves are brought 

 into continuity by Attraction to form the higher system of 

 the molecule. The number thus united may vary from 

 two to a hundred, or more, according to the nature of the 

 molecule, but in all cases the identity or personality of the 

 molecule is maintained through the Force of Attraction. 



Now the molecules of any substance are, as long as this 

 preserves its identity, also bound together by Force of 

 Attraction, but the attachment is not absolute ; there are 

 " spaces " between the molecules, and spaces which can be 

 made larger or smaller, the molecules moving past each 

 other at a greater or slower speed. Thus, a given volume 

 of water can be converted into steam by heat, when it occu- 

 pies a vastly greater space owing to the dissociation or mutual 

 repulsion of its molecules. The personality of each molecule 

 is, however, preserved, and the steam can be made to 

 condense so that there is water once more. On the other 

 hand, by what is called chemical action, the molecules of 

 a substance can be broken up, be decomposed, through the 

 induction of Repulsion, and the dissociation of its contained 

 atoms, which are set free to form molecules once more — 

 it may be of a new kind. It is quite clear, then, that mole- 

 cular decomposition is the same thing as atomic dissociation. 



This brings us to an important truth, namely, that in 

 both cases we have a Cyclic Reaction, or the loss of a state 

 followed by its recovery ; for if the state of water reflects 

 association, and that of steam dissociation, the condensation 

 of the steam into water represents re-association, and the 

 cycle is a sequence of Attraction — Repulsion — Attraction, 

 when a new cycle may commence. Similarly, if we decom- 

 pose water by electrolysis (water molecules being composed 

 of 2 atoms of Hydrogen and 1 of Oxygen), the atoms are 

 dissociated and the molecules broken up. We get the dis- 



1 The revolving electrons in the atom are widely separate from each 

 other. Their common attraction to the atomic centre induces their mutual 

 repulsion. 



