﻿Recombination 
  of 
  Ions 
  made 
  by 
  ct 
  Rays. 
  999 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  constants 
  are 
  very 
  nearly 
  the 
  

   same 
  in 
  oxygen 
  and 
  carbon 
  monoxide, 
  and 
  yet 
  a 
  glance 
  at 
  

   fig. 
  2 
  will 
  show 
  how 
  completely 
  different 
  are 
  their 
  saturation- 
  

   curves. 
  Thus, 
  at 
  120 
  volts 
  1 
  per 
  cent. 
  o£ 
  the 
  carbon 
  mon- 
  

   oxide 
  ions, 
  7 
  per 
  cent, 
  of 
  the 
  oxygen 
  ions, 
  whilst 
  more 
  than 
  

   19 
  per 
  cent, 
  of 
  the 
  ammonia 
  ions, 
  recombine. 
  It 
  is 
  clear 
  that 
  

   some 
  factor 
  not 
  considered 
  by 
  Wheelock's 
  theory 
  is 
  of 
  great 
  

   importance 
  in 
  determining 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  curves. 
  Some 
  

   further 
  experiments 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  performed 
  seem 
  to 
  

   indicate 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  this 
  constant. 
  

  

  A 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  carbon 
  monoxide 
  was 
  prepared 
  and 
  

   was 
  kept 
  in 
  a 
  water-sealed 
  reservoir. 
  On 
  testing 
  this 
  gas 
  

   some 
  weeks 
  afterwards 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  show 
  a 
  greater 
  

   readiness 
  to 
  recombine 
  than 
  the 
  freshly 
  though 
  similarly 
  

   prepared 
  specimen. 
  

  

  Thus 
  :— 
  

  

  Volts 
  applied 
  * 
  # 
  Freshly 
  prepared. 
  * 
  Old 
  specimen, 
  

  

  across 
  chamber. 
  i 
  ' 
  73'3 
  cm. 
  16° 
  0. 
  i 
  ' 
  76-1 
  cm. 
  16° 
  C. 
  

  

  4 
  volts 
  -878 
  -792 
  

  

  12 
  -947 
  -87 
  

  

  20 
  -952 
  -91 
  

  

  40 
  -97 
  -95 
  

  

  80 
  -988 
  -979 
  

  

  The 
  difference 
  was 
  very 
  marked 
  and 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  attributed 
  

   to 
  impurities 
  in 
  the 
  old 
  gas 
  (H 
  2 
  excepted). 
  The 
  expe- 
  

   riments 
  showing 
  this 
  difference 
  were 
  repeated 
  many 
  times. 
  

   This 
  result 
  suggested 
  investigation 
  of 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  degree 
  of 
  

   dryness 
  of 
  the 
  gas, 
  and 
  hence 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  experiments 
  on 
  air 
  

   dried 
  by 
  various 
  reagents 
  was 
  made. 
  In 
  these 
  experiments, 
  

   as 
  in 
  other 
  experiments 
  where 
  the 
  gas 
  liberates 
  the 
  emanation 
  

   from 
  the 
  radium, 
  the 
  latter 
  was 
  enclosed 
  in 
  a 
  closed 
  box 
  with 
  

   mica 
  or 
  waxed 
  tissue-paper 
  as 
  lid. 
  These 
  lids 
  were 
  air-tight, 
  

   transparent 
  to 
  the 
  long-range 
  a. 
  rays, 
  and 
  were 
  also 
  able 
  to 
  

   withstand 
  considerable 
  differences 
  of 
  pressure. 
  Air, 
  bubbled 
  

   through 
  water, 
  could 
  be 
  used 
  with 
  this 
  precaution. 
  It 
  was 
  

   found 
  that 
  in 
  damp 
  air 
  the 
  ions 
  recombined 
  more 
  easily 
  than 
  

   in 
  dry 
  air, 
  but 
  the 
  difference 
  was 
  not 
  so 
  great 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  

   of 
  carbon 
  monoxide. 
  

  

  Tr 
  . 
  ,. 
  , 
  ,, 
  * 
  Dry 
  air 
  z 
  Moist 
  air 
  

  

  V=Applied 
  volts. 
  j. 
  (H2 
  g 
  04 
  $. 
  p0) 
  -• 
  (water)> 
  

  

  8 
  '856 
  -84 
  

  

  20 
  -92 
  -91 
  

  

  40 
  -943 
  -93 
  

  

  80 
  -97 
  -951 
  

  

  