Laws of Molecular Force. 277 



These values of the dynic equivalents agree well with the 

 calculated ones above, but then the values of M 2 / being all 



increased in the ratio of 2^ to 1 are no longer in agreement 

 with the values got by the second method. 



Accordingly we see that the alcohols will require an 

 exhaustive study for themselves, if the interesting features of 

 their molecular structure are to be thoroughly made out. I 

 have merely sketched lines on which their abnormality may 

 be hopefully investigated. Those bodies, such as nitric per- 

 oxide, studied by the brothers Natanson, and acetic acid, 

 studied by Ramsay and Young, which have been proved to 

 have double molecules split np both by the action of heat and 

 reduction of pressure have not been touched on in this paper; 

 they also would require a special investigation in which our 

 characteristic equations would lend an assistance much 

 required. 



15. Methods of finding the Virial Constant for Inorganic 

 Compounds, including a theory of the Capillarity and Com- 

 pressibility of Solutions. — So far I have secured only two 

 methods of finding the virial constants and dynic equivalents 

 of inorganic compounds from existing data, and only one of 

 these is practically useful, namely the first, in which the 

 surface-tensions of solutions are the source of the values ; 

 the second is based on the compressibility of solutions. Using 

 our expression for surface-tension in terms of molecular force, 



ot = 7rp*Ae/(2 + V2), 

 in the form « = Af>*ro*/c, 



where c is a constant, I was led to imagine that it could be 

 adapted to the case of a solution by means of the following 

 suppositions : — First, that in a solution containing u mole- 

 cules of dissolved substance of molecular mass p to one of 

 solvent of molecular mass w, the solution may be assumed to 

 be a substance of molecular mass 



m — (w + np)/(l + n) ; 



second, that if 3W is the parameter of molecular force for the 

 solvent and 3A for the dissolved substance, then the parameter 

 3X for the solution is connected with W and A by the relation 



X' 1 = (W- l + nA~ l )/(l + n). 



This seems highly arbitrary, but will be completely verified 

 by the results to which it leads. I could make no progress 





