﻿262 
  Lord 
  Kelvin 
  

  

  which 
  for 
  the 
  case 
  a' 
  = 
  3# 
  is 
  

  

  '2.27 
  

  

  1 
  3/2.27 
  

  

  E'C 
  = 
  CE 
  = 
  -622. 
  

  

  § 
  10» 
  Mutual 
  action 
  of 
  this 
  kind 
  might 
  probably 
  be 
  pre- 
  

   sented 
  in 
  such 
  binary 
  combinations 
  as 
  2 
  , 
  N 
  2 
  , 
  H 
  2 
  , 
  Gl 
  2 
  , 
  CO, 
  

   SO, 
  NaCI 
  (dry 
  common 
  salt) 
  if 
  each 
  single 
  atom, 
  0, 
  N, 
  H, 
  

   CI, 
  C*, 
  S 
  9 
  Na'fj 
  had 
  just 
  one 
  electrion 
  for 
  its 
  neutralizing 
  

  

  which, 
  are 
  not 
  easily 
  dealt 
  with 
  by 
  frontal 
  attack 
  for 
  the 
  determina- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  two 
  unknown 
  quantities 
  x,x' 
  ; 
  hut 
  which 
  may 
  he 
  solved 
  hy 
  a 
  

   method 
  of 
  successive 
  approximations, 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  — 
  Let 
  x 
  ,x\, 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  xi, 
  #'<,, 
  

   x\, 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  %i', 
  be 
  successive 
  approximations 
  to 
  the 
  values 
  of 
  x 
  and 
  x', 
  and 
  take 
  

  

  

  I 
  

  

  where 
  D' 
  A 
  i=(£+xi—x'i) 
  2 
  . 
  As 
  an 
  example, 
  take 
  a 
  = 
  l, 
  a' 
  = 
  3. 
  To 
  find 
  

   solutions 
  for 
  gradual 
  approach 
  between 
  centres, 
  take 
  successively 
  

   £=2*9, 
  2-8, 
  27, 
  2-6. 
  Begin 
  with 
  .r 
  = 
  0, 
  ,r' 
  = 
  0, 
  we 
  find 
  .r 
  4 
  = 
  -01243, 
  

   x',= 
  '0297, 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  values 
  for 
  x 
  5 
  , 
  and 
  a?' 
  5 
  . 
  Take 
  next 
  £=2-8, 
  

   .r 
  = 
  -0l243, 
  ^ 
  = 
  -0297; 
  Ave 
  find 
  # 
  4 
  =ar 
  5 
  ==-0269, 
  ff' 
  4 
  =tf' 
  6 
  ='0702. 
  Thus 
  

   we 
  have 
  the 
  solution 
  for 
  the 
  second 
  distance 
  between 
  centres. 
  Next 
  

   take 
  C=2'7,.ro 
  = 
  '0269, 
  ar' 
  = 
  -0702 
  ; 
  we 
  find 
  x 
  G 
  =x 
  7 
  = 
  -0462, 
  ^' 
  G 
  ==^' 
  7 
  = 
  '1458. 
  

   Working- 
  similarly 
  for 
  £=2*6, 
  we 
  do 
  not 
  find 
  convergence, 
  and 
  we 
  infer 
  

   that 
  a 
  position 
  of 
  unstable 
  equilibrium 
  is 
  reached 
  by 
  the 
  electrions 
  for 
  

   some 
  value 
  of 
  £ 
  between 
  2*7 
  and 
  2-6. 
  

  

  * 
  The 
  complexity 
  of 
  the 
  hydrocarbons 
  and 
  the 
  Van't 
  Hoff 
  and 
  Le 
  Bel 
  

   doctrine 
  of 
  the 
  asymmetric 
  results 
  (chirality) 
  produced 
  by 
  the 
  quadri- 
  

   valence 
  of 
  carbon 
  makes 
  it 
  probable 
  that 
  the 
  carbon 
  atom 
  takes 
  at 
  least 
  

   four 
  electrions 
  to 
  neutralize 
  it 
  electrically. 
  

  

  t 
  The 
  fact 
  that 
  sodium, 
  solid 
  or 
  liquid, 
  is 
  a 
  metallic 
  conductor 
  of 
  

   electricity 
  makes 
  it 
  probable 
  that 
  the 
  sodium 
  atom, 
  as 
  all 
  other 
  

   metallic 
  elements, 
  takes 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  electrions 
  to 
  neutralize 
  it 
  

   (see 
  below, 
  § 
  30). 
  

  

  