800 Mr. T. Carlton Sutton on the 



where [Pi], [Qi], &c. are the concentrations of the sub* 

 stances entering into a reversible reaction of the type , 



X 1 P 1 + \ 2 P2+ <fec.^/x 1 Q 1 + yu, 2 Q 2 + &c. 7 



\i, X 2 , /ii, /a 2 , &c. are the number of molecules of each 

 substance that enter into the equation, is the absolute 

 temperature, e the logarithmic base, a and b constants- 

 characteristic of the action, and II a symbol denoting a 

 product. 



The many experimenters who have verified the law of 

 mass action have shown that in such a reaction as 



X 1 P 1 + \ 2 P 2 + &c.^ / a 1 Q 1 +/^ 2 Q 2 + &c. 



y constar 



n[P,] M , 



the forward action at any constant temperature is propor- 

 tional to 



and the back action to 



Hence, writing the forward and the back actions in the 

 forms (which are perfectly general) 



n[Pj ( >(^ I p,Q,fc.) 



and 



n[Q 1 r x (^,p,Q I &o.) J 



it will be seen that the values of yjr and % are unchanged if 

 6 is unchanged and p, P, Q, &c. are varied. So yfr and x 

 are functions of 6 only, and the forward and back actions 

 may be written 



n[Pi]V(0) 



and 



n[Qjft F(0) 



respectively. 



For equilibrium, these are equal, and 



n[p,] x ./w ' 



Combining this with Planck's relation (I.) we obtain 



