﻿and 
  the 
  Constitution 
  of 
  the 
  Atom. 
  319 
  

  

  1 
  electron 
  in 
  the 
  outer 
  ring. 
  Now 
  the 
  elements 
  from 
  Li 
  

   to 
  Fl 
  are 
  assumed 
  to 
  maintain 
  an 
  internal 
  system 
  of 
  

  

  2 
  electrons 
  and 
  add 
  one 
  in 
  the 
  external 
  ring 
  for 
  each 
  step 
  

   in 
  atomic 
  number. 
  This 
  will 
  make 
  an 
  external 
  ring 
  of 
  

   7 
  electrons. 
  By 
  Ne 
  one 
  electron 
  is 
  added 
  which, 
  however, 
  

   goes 
  to 
  the 
  central 
  ring, 
  and 
  hence 
  forward 
  we 
  get 
  the 
  K-ring. 
  

   If 
  so, 
  the 
  K-radiation 
  should 
  begin 
  with 
  Ne 
  or 
  Na 
  ; 
  and 
  

   in 
  fact 
  this 
  result 
  is 
  in 
  agreement 
  with 
  experiments, 
  for 
  

   Na 
  is 
  the 
  first 
  element 
  for 
  which 
  the 
  K-radiation 
  has 
  been 
  

   observed. 
  Now 
  the 
  ring 
  of 
  7 
  electrons 
  is 
  kept 
  to 
  form 
  the 
  

   inner 
  L-ring, 
  and 
  a 
  new 
  ring 
  comes 
  into 
  existence 
  for 
  Na. 
  

   From 
  Ar 
  we 
  have 
  both 
  L-rings 
  with 
  7 
  and 
  8 
  electrons 
  

   formed, 
  and 
  the 
  L-radiation 
  might 
  perhaps 
  be 
  expected 
  to 
  

   begin 
  with 
  potassium 
  ; 
  perhaps 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  lines 
  might 
  be 
  

   traced 
  to 
  Na. 
  

  

  Now 
  we 
  come 
  to 
  the 
  long 
  period 
  from 
  Ar 
  to 
  Kr. 
  At 
  first 
  

   a 
  ring 
  of 
  10 
  electrons 
  is 
  formed, 
  completed 
  by 
  the 
  elements 
  

   Fe, 
  Co, 
  and 
  Ni 
  with 
  8, 
  9, 
  and 
  10 
  electrons 
  in 
  the 
  external 
  

   ring 
  respectively 
  ; 
  this 
  should 
  be 
  the 
  first 
  M-ring 
  with 
  quant 
  

   number 
  3. 
  At 
  Cu 
  a 
  new 
  ring 
  comes 
  into 
  existence, 
  and 
  we 
  

   get 
  a 
  monovalent 
  electropositive 
  element. 
  During 
  the 
  next 
  

   long 
  period 
  from 
  Kr 
  to 
  Xe 
  the 
  same 
  process 
  is 
  repeated. 
  

  

  The 
  next 
  and 
  longest 
  of 
  all 
  periods 
  which 
  go 
  from 
  Xe 
  

   to 
  Ra 
  Em 
  is 
  peculiar 
  because 
  it 
  contains 
  the 
  rare 
  earths. 
  

   Now 
  I 
  think 
  that 
  the 
  view 
  here 
  adopted 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  

   constitution 
  of 
  the 
  electronic 
  systems 
  may 
  afford 
  a 
  very 
  

   simple 
  and 
  natural 
  explanation 
  of 
  this 
  peculiar 
  group 
  of 
  

   elements. 
  

  

  When 
  we 
  pass 
  from 
  Xe, 
  a 
  new 
  external 
  ring 
  is 
  formed, 
  

   with 
  1 
  electron 
  for 
  Cs, 
  2 
  for 
  Ba, 
  and 
  so 
  on 
  until 
  for 
  Ce 
  we 
  

   get 
  a 
  ring 
  of 
  4 
  electrons. 
  Passing 
  now 
  to 
  the 
  next 
  elements 
  

   we 
  assume 
  the 
  external 
  ring 
  to 
  be 
  kept, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  new 
  

   electrons 
  are 
  forming 
  a 
  new 
  internal 
  ring. 
  From 
  our 
  point 
  

   of 
  view 
  such 
  an 
  assumption 
  is 
  a 
  quite 
  legitimate 
  one. 
  

   It 
  would 
  only 
  mean 
  that 
  the 
  new 
  electronic 
  system 
  had 
  a 
  

   smaller 
  quant 
  number 
  than 
  the 
  external 
  ring 
  : 
  for 
  a 
  smaller 
  

   quant 
  number 
  will, 
  according 
  to 
  equation 
  (25), 
  give 
  a 
  

   smaller 
  radius 
  of 
  the 
  ring. 
  Thus 
  the 
  new 
  electrons 
  which 
  

   are 
  taken 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  series 
  of 
  rare 
  earths 
  when 
  we 
  pass 
  to 
  

   higher 
  atomic 
  numbers 
  are, 
  so 
  to 
  speak, 
  soaked 
  into 
  the 
  

   atom, 
  and 
  the 
  surface 
  systems 
  mainly 
  determining 
  the 
  

   chemical 
  properties 
  are 
  kept 
  unaltered. 
  How 
  these 
  new 
  

   internal 
  electrons 
  are 
  arranged 
  we 
  do 
  not 
  know. 
  In 
  the 
  

   graphical 
  representation 
  (fig. 
  2) 
  I 
  have 
  assumed 
  them 
  to 
  

   form 
  one 
  system 
  inside 
  the 
  surface 
  electrons. 
  

  

  When 
  at 
  last 
  the 
  atom 
  has 
  become 
  saturated 
  as 
  it 
  were, 
  

  

  