﻿Aepinus 
  Atomized. 
  263 
  

  

  ■quantum. 
  If 
  the 
  combination 
  is 
  so 
  close 
  that 
  the 
  centres 
  

   coincide, 
  the 
  two 
  electrions 
  will 
  rest 
  stably 
  at 
  equal 
  distances 
  

   on 
  the 
  two 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  centre 
  as 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  § 
  9. 
  

   I 
  see 
  at 
  present 
  no 
  reason 
  for 
  considering 
  it 
  excessively 
  

   improbable 
  that 
  this 
  may 
  be 
  the 
  case 
  for 
  SO, 
  or 
  for 
  any 
  other 
  

   binary 
  combinations 
  of 
  two 
  atoms 
  of 
  different 
  quality 
  for 
  

   neither 
  o£ 
  which 
  there 
  is 
  reason 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  its 
  neutralizing 
  

   quantum 
  is 
  not 
  exactly 
  one 
  electrion. 
  But 
  for 
  the 
  binary 
  

   combinations 
  of 
  two 
  atoms 
  of 
  identical 
  quality 
  which 
  the 
  

   chemists 
  have 
  discovered 
  in 
  diatomic 
  gases 
  (0 
  2 
  , 
  N 
  2 
  , 
  &c.) 
  

   there 
  must, 
  over 
  and 
  above 
  the 
  electric 
  repulsion 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  

   similar 
  electric 
  globes, 
  be 
  a 
  strong 
  atomic 
  repulsion 
  preventing 
  

   stable 
  equilibrium 
  with 
  coincident 
  centres, 
  however 
  strongly 
  

   the 
  atoms 
  may 
  be 
  drawn 
  together 
  by 
  the 
  attractions 
  of 
  a 
  

   pair 
  of 
  mutually 
  repellent 
  electrions 
  within 
  them 
  ; 
  because 
  

   without 
  such 
  a 
  repulsion 
  the 
  two 
  similar 
  atoms 
  would 
  be- 
  

   come 
  one, 
  which 
  no 
  possible 
  action 
  in 
  nature 
  could 
  split 
  

   into 
  two. 
  

  

  § 
  11. 
  Returning 
  to 
  fig. 
  3, 
  let 
  us 
  pull 
  the 
  two 
  atoms 
  gradually 
  

   a 
  sunder 
  from 
  the 
  concentric 
  position 
  to 
  which 
  we 
  had 
  brought 
  

   them. 
  It 
  is 
  easily 
  seen 
  that 
  the 
  electrions 
  will 
  both 
  remain 
  

   within 
  the 
  smaller 
  atom 
  A, 
  slightly 
  disturbed 
  from 
  equality 
  of 
  

   distance 
  on 
  the 
  two 
  sides 
  of 
  its 
  centre 
  by 
  attractions 
  towards 
  

   the 
  centre 
  of 
  A'; 
  and 
  that 
  when 
  A! 
  is 
  infinitely 
  distant 
  they 
  will 
  

   settle 
  at 
  distances 
  each 
  equal 
  to 
  ^^2 
  = 
  '62996 
  a 
  on 
  the 
  two 
  

   .sides 
  of 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  A. 
  If, 
  instead 
  of 
  two 
  monelectrionic 
  

   .atoms, 
  we 
  deal 
  with 
  two 
  polyelectrionic 
  atoms 
  as 
  in 
  § 
  9, 
  we 
  

   find 
  after 
  separation 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  electrions 
  in 
  the 
  smaller 
  

   atom 
  increased 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  larger 
  decreased 
  ; 
  and 
  this 
  with 
  

   much 
  smaller 
  difference 
  of 
  magnitude 
  than 
  the 
  three 
  to 
  one 
  

   of 
  diameters 
  which 
  we 
  had 
  for 
  our 
  monelectrionic 
  atoms 
  of 
  

   § 
  9. 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  remarkable 
  conclusion, 
  pointing 
  to 
  what 
  

   is 
  probably 
  the 
  true 
  explanation 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  known 
  of 
  the 
  

   electric 
  properties 
  of 
  matter 
  ; 
  attractions 
  and 
  repulsions 
  pro- 
  

   duced 
  by 
  rubbed 
  amber. 
  Two 
  ideal 
  solids 
  consisting 
  of 
  

   assemblages 
  of 
  monelectrionic 
  atoms 
  of 
  largely 
  different 
  sizes 
  

   would 
  certainly, 
  when 
  pressed 
  and 
  rubbed 
  together 
  and 
  

   .separated, 
  show 
  the 
  properties 
  of 
  oppositely 
  electrified 
  bodies; 
  

   and 
  the 
  preponderance 
  of 
  the 
  electrionic 
  quality 
  would 
  be 
  in 
  

   the 
  assemblage 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  atoms 
  are 
  the 
  smaller. 
  Assuming 
  

   as 
  we 
  do 
  that 
  the 
  electricity 
  of 
  the 
  electrions 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  resinous 
  

   kind, 
  we 
  say 
  that 
  after 
  pressing 
  and 
  rubbing 
  together 
  and 
  

   separating 
  the 
  two 
  assemblages, 
  the 
  assemblage 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  

   atoms 
  is 
  resinously 
  electrified 
  and 
  the 
  assemblage 
  of 
  the 
  

   larger 
  atoms 
  is 
  vitreously 
  electrified. 
  This 
  is 
  probably 
  the 
  

  

  