1 882.] Thoughts on Chemical Affinity. 123 
The ordinary display of magnetism is an influence ema- 
nating from molecules which are separated by considerable 
intervals, and whose magnetic effect upon each other is, 
therefore, much decreased. But in chemical action the 
spaces separating the molecules are greatly reduced. The 
heat energy which kept them asunder is yielded outwardly, 
and they come into intimate union. They are then in a po- 
sition to develop each other’s magnetism. In the former 
case they resembled two magnets so far separated as only 
slightly to affect each other. In the latter case they resemble 
two magnets which are made to touch each other. 
But magnets may touch in different modes, and thus pro- 
duce various combinations. If brought together end to end, 
they attract if their adjacent poles are unlike, and thus 
compose a single long magnet. There is no doubling of 
energy in this double magnet. It attracts no more strongly 
than did each of its constituents. If the magnets are 
brought together side by side, with unlike poles in conjunc- 
tion, they will also attract, but the magnetism of each will 
mask that of the other, and thus there will be no external 
display of magnetic energy. If brought together, in either 
of the above positions, with like poles adjacent, they will 
mutually repel. 
If, instead of two, three or more magnets be employed, 
their possible modes of combination will increase in variety. 
The effective energy of a strong magnet may be decreased 
by astatic union with weaker magnets. Also the poles of a 
strong magnet might attract several weaker magnets, whose 
free poles, being of the same name, would mutually 
repel. 
If, now, chemical affinity really arise from the attractive 
relations of molecular magnets, brought very close together, 
it should display peculiarities like those seen in the 
combinations of mass magnets. But it might also 
display characteristics not usually seen in the mutual 
action of mass magnets. The facility of rotation of the 
molecules would tend to make them usually assume the 
strongest magnetic relation, that of astatic union : they 
might, if in considerable number, unite in all the various 
modes in which a collection of magnets would come to- 
gether, but when only two molecules were concerned their 
combination would most probably be astatic. 
This idea is very significant if we apply it to one of the 
primary chemical actions. It is now generally believed that 
the chemical atoms never, or only in exceptional cases, exist 
singly, but that they are ordinarily combined in pairs. And 
