314 Prof. J. J. Thomson on Cathode Rays. 



no longer holds : thus 6 magnets do not arrange themselves 

 at the corners of a hexagon, but divide into two systems, con- 

 sisting of 1 in the middle surrounded by 5 at the corners of a 

 pentagon. For 8 we have two in the inside and 6 outside ; 

 this arrangement in two systems, an inner and an outer, lasts 

 up to 18 magnets. After this we have three systems : an inner, 

 a middle, and an outer ; for a still larger number of magnets 

 we have four systems, and so on. 



Mayer found the arrangement of magnets was as follows: — 



2. 3. 4. 5. 

 /2.6 JK.7 /4.8 5.9 

 \2.7 13.8 1 4 . 9 



2.7.10 f3. 7 . 10 f4.8.12 J5.9.12 



2.8.10 |3.7.11 J 4.8 . 13 [5.9.13 



2.7.11 13.8.10 14.9.12 

 13.8.11 [4.9.13 

 I 3.8.12 

 1,3.8. 13 



/l. 5. 9.12 J2.7.10.15 f3. 7. 12.13 f4.9.13.14 

 1.5.9.13 12. 7. 12.14 |3.7.12.14 -U. 9. 13.15 



7 



12 



13 



7 



12 



14 



7 



13 



14 



7 



13. 



15 



1 .6. 9.12 13.7.13.14 (4.9.14.15 



1.6.10.12 [3. 

 1.6.10.13 

 1.6.11.12 



1.6.11 .13 

 1.6.11.14 

 1.6.11.15 



LI. 7. 12. 14 



where, for example, 1 . 6 . 10 . 12 means an arrangement 

 with one magnet in the middle, then a ring of six, then a ring 

 of ten, and a ring of twelve outside. 



Now suppose that a certain property is associated with two 

 magnets forming a group by themselves; we should have this 

 property with 2 magnets, again with 8 and 9, again with 19 

 and 20, and again with 34, 35, and so on. If we regard the 

 system of magnats as a model of an atom, the number of 

 magnets being proportional to the atomic weight, we should 

 have this property occurring in elements of atomic weight 2, 

 (8, 9), 19, 20, (34, 35). Again, any property conferred by 

 three magnets forming a system by themselves would occur 

 with atomic weights 3, 10, and 11; 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24; 

 35, 36, 37 and 39 ; in fact, we should have something quite 

 analogous to the periodic law, the first series corresponding 

 to the arrangement of the magnets in a single group, the 

 second series to the arrangement in two groups, the third 

 series in three groups, and so on. 



