THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF NON-AQUEOUS 
SOLUTIONS . 1 
AZARIAH THOMAS LINCOLN, PH. D. 
University of Wisconsin. 
WITH PLATES II TO VII. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Van’t Hoff formulated his modern theory of solutions from 
the results of Pfeifer’s 2 classic experiments on the osmotic 
pressure of a few substances in aqueous solutions, and from 
the work of de Vries 3 who pointed out that equimolecular 
quantities of dissolved substances produce the same osmotic 
pressure. Van’t Hoff 4 stated that the condition of a substance 
in the gaseous state is analogous to the condition in which a 
substance exists in dilute solutions wherein the osmotic pres¬ 
sure of the dissolved substance corresponds to the pressure of 
the gaseous particles. It was soon observed, however, that 
many substances did not give normal values for the osmotic 
pressure, the rise of the boiling, or lowering of the freezing 
point; and thus that the laws of gases would not hold for solu¬ 
tions of these substances. 
Arrhenius pointed out that those substances which yield 
solutions in water that conduct electricity are acids, bases, 
and salts (called electrolytes); and that they are the same class 
of compounds as give abnormal values for the osmotic pressure, 
the rise of the boiling point, and the lowering of the freezing 
point in aqueous solutions. In order to explain these anom- 
1 A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University 
of Wisconsin, 1899. 
2 Osmotisehe Untersuchungen , Leipzig, 1877. 
3 Zeit. phys. Chem. 2, 414; 1888. 
4 Zeit. phys. Chem. 1, 481; 1887. 
