Light Absorption and Fluorescence. 17 



endowment of the system with an additional molecular 

 frequency which is an exact multiple of the infra-red funda- 

 mental. Let it be supposed that in the formation of its 

 molecular force field a given molecule loses one molecular 

 quantum at the infra-red fundamental. If the freshly- 

 synthesized molecule were allowed to absorb one quantum 

 at the infra-red fundamental, it would become endowed with 

 certain properties. If, now, it is required to bring the 

 molecule with its molecular force field established by the 

 loss of one quantum into this physical state, it will be 

 necessary to supply it with energy equal to two energy 

 quanta at the infra-red fundamental. There can be no 

 reason against the molecule and its force field absorbing 

 both these quanta simultaneously, and therefore it may be 

 concluded that the system of molecule and force field 

 becomes endowed witli a new and additional frequency which 

 is exactly twice the infra-red fundamental. Similarly, it 

 follows that, if the force-field condensation proceeds to the 

 extent defined by the loss of two molecular quanta at the 

 infra-red fundamental, the molecule and its force field will 

 be endowed with a new and additional frequency which is 

 exactly three times the infra-red fundamental. Generally, 

 if the infra-red fundamental of a freshly-synthesized mole- 

 cule be denoted by M, and if in the formation of the force 

 field x quanta are evolved at that frequency, the system 

 will be characterized by two molecular frequencies — namely 

 M and M(# + l). Since the external atomic fields are bound 

 to undergo a certain amount of condensation, it is evident 

 that the molecule must exist in one of a number of possible 

 phases, each molecular phase being defined by the number 

 of molecular quanta lost in the force-field condensation and 

 characterized by a specific frequency which is an exact 

 multiple of the infra-red fundamental. 



The initial assumption was made that the chemical 

 reactivity of atoms is due to the attraction exerted by their 

 electromagnetic fields. As the result of this attraction the 

 atoms form an addition complex which constitutes the first 

 stage in the reaction between them, the second stage being 

 the joint loss of equal amounts of energy by all the atoms 

 whereby the freshly- synthesized molecule is formed with its 

 infra-red fundamental. Similarly, the reactivity of molecules 

 will be a function of their force fields, and the first stage of 

 any reaction between two or more molecules will be the 

 formation of the addition complex due to the attraction 

 between their respective force fields. It follows, therefore, 



Phil. Mag. S. 6. Vol. 40. No. 235. July 1920. 



