396 
Lincoln—Electrical Conductivity. 
alous results, Arrhenius 1 promulgated his well known theory 
of electrolytic dissociation, which has been very widely accepted. 
The theory has, however, met with very strong opposition par¬ 
ticularly from the English chemists. Some English scientists 
contend that the supposition that the molecules of the dissolved 
substance are electrolytically dissociated is not necessary to ex¬ 
plain the facts, and that in many cases it is not adequate. How¬ 
ever, the dissociation theory has stimulated the investigation of 
■aqueous solutions and particularly as to their electrical con¬ 
ductivity. Attention has also been directed to the study of 
mixtures of water with other solvents, and more recently the 
attention of scientists has been directed towards the character 
■of solutions other than aqueous. The investigation of non- 
.aqueous solutions is replete with interest, and many lines of 
research, both theoretical and practical, offer themselves, the 
interdependence of which is very apparent. But the present 
research is confined chiefly to the electrical conductivity of non- 
aqueous solutions. 
The degree of dissociation in aqueous solutions is calculated 
from determinations of the electrical conductivity and also from 
he rise of the boiling point and the lowering of the freezing 
point of the solutions; and the results show very close agree¬ 
ment. Hence in connection with the conductivity measure¬ 
ments of non-aqueous solutions, it is desirable to have boiling 
point and cryscopic determinations to aid in ascertaining the 
molecular condition of the dissolved substance. Since these 
methods are employed to determine to what extent the disso¬ 
ciation has taken place in aqueous solutions, one would natur¬ 
ally be inclined to apply them to solutions other than aqueous; 
for it is reasonable to suppose that the methods are as appli¬ 
cable to one solvent as to another. The advocates of the elec¬ 
trolytic dissociation theory state that whenever any solvent 
conducts electricity the dissolved substance is dissociated elec¬ 
trolytically, and consequently the solvent possesses dissociative 
power. This meaning of the term, dissociative power, will be 
retained throughout this paper. The agreement between the 
values for the degree of dissociation in non-aqueous solutions 
1 Zeit. phys. Chem. 1, 631; 1887. 
