UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CHEMICAL ACTION. 
43 
increase by two the number of atoms among which the energy is divisible. Let us 
consider a supposititious case in order to see what the effect of these differences will be. 
If we assume 6 as a reasonable number of atoms, including electrons as a special kind 
of atom, to be concerned in the reaction which emits an electron in the case of chlorine, 
there will be two more, or eight, in the case of COCl 2 . Six atoms in the case of Cl 2 
require a value of H = 88 -4 X 10 3 to give T = 4900. This value of H is about half 
the total given by the equation of the end products after making a probable allowance 
for the unknown heat of formation of the liquid alloy, and is thus not unreasonable if 
the reaction in which the electron is emitted is of an intermediate type. The value of 
H for the case of COCL now becomes 88 -4 — 18 = 70 -4, and one-eighth of this is 8 -8, 
J_ 
&N 
which on division by § ^ gives T = 2950, a value quite near to that given by 
the experiments. This argument shows that the values of T deduced from the 
experiments are not in conflict with thermo-chemical data so far as our knowledge of 
the reactions enables us to apply it. 
In conclusion I wish to thank my assistant, Mr. J. W. Burrows, for his invaluable 
help. I also gladly acknowledge my indebtedness to the Government Grant Committee 
of the Royal Society for a grant which has defrayed part of the cost of the apparatus and 
materials used. 
