SCIENCE. 



49 



SCIENCE: 



A Weekly Record of Scientific 

 Progress. 



JOHN MICHELS, Editor. 



Published at 

 229 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 

 P. O. Box 3838. 



SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5. 1881. 



ON MATTER AS A FORM OF ENERGY. 



In the vortex-ring theory of matter as propoun ded 

 by Sir William Thomson, the characteristic differences 

 between the elements is supposed to be due to com- 

 plications in the rings themselves, as they may be 

 knotted in innumerable ways. Several such forms 

 are drawn in the memoir, and one such is stamped 

 upon the cover of " The Unseen Universe," by 

 Tait and Stewart. 



This vortex-ring theory assumes that matter is a 

 form of energy, not interchangable with the other vari- 

 able forms, such as heat, electricity, etc., for the sim- 

 ple reason that its form renders it impossible, but if 

 the elements be forms of energy, the law of energy 

 may possibly be traced in them. Now, the energy of 

 a given mass of matter varies as the square of its veloc- 

 ity, but the properties of the mass vary with the form 

 of the energy, that is to say, the physical properties of 

 a heated body are not identical with those of the same 

 body when it is cool, but possesses the same amount 

 of energy in free path motion. The physical proper- 

 ties of atoms and molecules vary with atomic and 

 molecular velocities ; for example, whether a piece of 

 iron or steel is magnetic or not depends upon its tem- 

 perature, that is, its rate of molecular vibration. It is 

 not, therefore, a priori improbable that such differences 

 as exist between the ultimate atoms constituting what 

 we call mass, may be due to relative velocities of rota- 

 tion of the vortex-ring. Atomic weights represent 

 numerically these constant differences, and one might 

 expect to find in any one of these atomic weights the 

 two factors that constitute energy, namely a mass (or 

 its equivalent) and a velocity ; so we might write 

 mi? 



— — = atomic weight. Applying this to a specific 



case, suppose m JL = 75 = atomic weight of Arsenic; 

 2 



by inspection it is seen that m = 6 and v = 5. If 



At. Wt. Car- 



r a 4 , 6X2' 

 m — 6 and v — 2, then = 12 



bon. Let a table now be constructed m — 6 and v 

 with values 2, 3, 4, and so on. and there results a 

 series of numbers N either exactly the same as the 

 atomic weights of some of the elements or a very close 

 approximation to such numbers. The elements have 

 their symbols under E with their atomic weights as 

 given under At. Wt. for comparison. 



= Energy=Atomic Weight. 



m = 6 

 6x2" 



2 



6X3" 

 2 



m=7 

 m = S 



27 



75 

 108 

 147 

 192 



E. 



C. 



Al. 



Ti. 



As. 

 A 5. 

 Di. 

 ? 



14 



3'-5 



56 



«7-5 

 126 

 171-5 

 224 



N. 

 P.? 

 Fe. 

 Sr. 



I. 

 Er.? 



? 



16 



36 

 64 

 100 

 144 

 196 



O. 

 CI.? 

 Cu. 



? 



? 



Au. 

 Pt. 

 In. 

 Os. 



At.Wt. 



75 

 108 



'4 



3' 



56 



87.2 

 197 

 170.6 



16 



35-5 



63.3 



196 

 196.7 

 196.7 

 198.6 



40.5 

 72 



112. 5 



162 

 220 



;«= 13 



22 



137-5 

 183 



24 

 54 

 96 

 125 



26 

 58.5 



162.5 

 234 



E. 



? 



Ca.? 



Cd. 



At. Wt. 



40 

 m 

 1 1 1 .6 



? 

 ? 



Sr. 

 Ce. 

 Ba. 

 W. 



87.2 

 r 37 

 136.8 

 184 



Mg. 

 Mn. 

 Mo. 



24 

 54 

 95-1 



Ni. 

 Co. 

 Ru. 

 Rh. 



? 



Th. 



58.6 

 58.6 

 1035 

 104.2 



233-9 



By changing the value of m to 7, 8, 9, etc., a new 

 series of numbers is obtained and the process is car- 

 ried until the resulting number is higher than any 

 known atomic weight, namely, that of Thallium 

 233.9. Where the number obtained is not that of any 

 known atomic weight an interrogation point is placed. 

 In several cases the resulting number is the same as 

 the ones given by Mendelejeff as those of probable 

 elements yet to be discovered ; for example, in table 

 m — 9- 72 is such a number and is marked m in the 

 line of atomic weights. 



Now, here is a series of forty numbers calculated 

 serially, and thirty-three of them are either the exact 

 atomic weights of elements or vary less than one unit 

 from them, and it does not seem probable that so large 

 a proportion could be the result of chance, for the 

 numbers range from 12 to 234. Moreover, by carry- 

 ing the process still further many more of the atomic 

 weights are obtained. Thus, with m = 13 we have 

 Co. Ni. Ru. Rh. and Th. 



