914 Research Staff of the G. E. C, London, on the 



the limits of about *9 and 1*0. This agrees in a rather 

 remarkable way with the determination of the eccentricity 

 as '945 in the first paper, which was based on an entirely 

 different assumption. 



It has been shown that the helium and neon atoms of 

 fig. 1 will not form compounds with any of the other atoms 

 shown, and that they must be monatomic. The exact deter- 

 mination of some of the simpler molecules is deferred for a 

 future communication on account of space. 



XCVIIL The Disappearance of Gas in the Electric Dis- 

 charge.— TV . By The Research Staff of the General 

 Electric Company Ltd., London*. {Work conducted by 

 N. R. Campbell and H, Wakd.) 



I^HE experiments described in this paper are a con- 

 tinuation of those described in the previous papers 

 of the series t« 



They are concerned primarily with the disappearance of 

 gas in the presence of phosphorus vapour, but some of the 

 conclusions reached are applicable, even when phosphorus is 

 not present. 



Summary. 



The main experiments are directed to determine how the 

 quantity of gas absorbed in the discharge in the presence of 

 phosphorus varies with various factors. 



The experimental methods are described in pars. 3 and 4. 

 The following conclusions are reached concerning the 

 factors : — 



1. The nature of the gas. — Compound gases and some 

 elements are excluded on the ground of chemical change. 

 Of the rest,, the inactive gases are little absorbed ; hydrogen 

 and nitrogen, on which the experiments have been conducted, 

 behave almost identically. (Par. 2.) 



2. The nature of the discharge has little direct effect upon 

 the amount of gas absorbed. (Par. 5.) 



3. The form of the vessel is important only in so far as it 

 affects the area of the walls exposed to the discharge. The 

 temperature in the neighbourhood of 20° C. has no effect. 

 (Par. 5.) 



* Communicated by the Director. 



t Research Staff of the G. E. C, London, Phil. Mag. xi. p. 585 

 (1920); xli. p. 685 (1921) ; xlii. p. 227 (1921). These papers will be 

 quoted respectively as I., II., Ill, 



