﻿Gyroscopic Theory of Atoms and Molecules. 313 



hypothesis is now introduced to permit of the positive 

 electricity again separating into definite fixed units when the 

 atom breaks up. It seems necessary to do this sometime. 

 Using the dimensions of the atom obtained in the previous 

 paper*, the volume of the positive electron comes out 

 2*7 X 10" 36 cu.cm., corresponding to a radius of *86 x 10 -12 

 cm. if taken as spherical. 



The Number of Electrons 'per Gram of any Substance 

 Constant. 



On any atomic theory, the number of electrons per atom 

 is approximately proportional to, and Rutherford makes it 

 one half of y the atomic weight. It seems as if there is 

 reason, from a comparison with the periodic table of the 

 elements, to take the number of electrons as about equal to 

 the atomic weight, but proportionality alone is sufficient to 

 show that the number of electrons per gram for all substances 

 is nearly constant. If the electrons per atom are equal to 

 the {ipproximate atomic weight, then the number per gram 

 must be about 6 x ]0 23 , the so-called gram-molecule constant, 

 which thereby assumes a very definite physical meaning. 



If the number of electrons per gram is constant, then it 

 follows on this theory that the volume filled by all the atoms 

 in a gram is also constant, since the vast majority of atoms 

 are neutral, and each electron is accompanied with positive 

 electricity having a fixed volume. It is possible, then, to 

 find the total volume of all the atoms in a gram, because it 

 is the same as the total volume of positive electricity in all 

 the atoms, the electrons being conta ned within the volume 

 of the positive electricity. It is found by multiplying the 

 constant 6 x 10 23 by the volume of the unit positive elec- 

 tricity 2*7 x 10~ 36 cu.cm., which gives 1*62 x 10" 12 cu. cm. 

 Disregarding the fraction and taking the order of magnitude 

 as 10~ 12 cu. cm., this constant expresses the volume or all the 

 atoms in a gram of any kind of substance. If, for example, 

 a gram of water w hich ordinarily fills one cubic centimetre 

 could be compressed until its atoms are brought into con- 

 tact, or until all interspace between atoms is eliminated, it 

 would fill only 10~ 12 instead of one cubic centimetre. Or 

 again, if 10 12 grams of water, normally filling a space o£ 

 10 12 cu.cm., which is the volume of a cube one hundred 

 metres on a side, is similarly compressed until there is no 

 interspace between its atoms, it would only till one cubic 

 centimetre. 



* Loc. cit. p. 56. 



