280 
MAJOR A. E. OXLEY ON THE INFLUENCE OF MOLECULAR 
may be considered as containing respectively 
4w + 2, 4n —2, in —6 magnetons. 
Moreover, Pascal has shown that the magnitude of xcm is quite independent of the 
presence of nitrogen, oxygen, or sulphur in the compound, so that, where the additive 
law holds for such complex molecules, it will hold for the whole series of additive 
compounds formed with the group. 
Pascal also investigated the halogens, lliiorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine. The 
atomic susceptibilities of these elements, as deduced from the molecular susceptibilities 
of organic compounds in which they are contained, are given in column 2, the 
approximate numlier of magnetons per atom is given in column 3. 
Substance. 
Xa.IOX 
n. 
Fluorine. 
- 6.5-.5 
2 
i Chlorine . 
- 209-5 
7 
Bromine. 
-319-2 
10 
1 Iodine . 
-465-0 
15 
It must be admitted, however, that these last four results do not warrant an 
extension of the magneton theory to these elements. Moreover, although the results 
for the hydrocarhons mentioned above are very suggestive, yet there remain 
difficulties, such for example as the values of X, which for the benzene ring is 
equal to — 15xl0~^, the interpretation of which does not fall into line with 
the magneton view. Further difficulties are met with in the cases of nitrogen and 
oxygen. . 
Perhaps these difficulties should be expected, since it has been proved that the 
additive law breaks down for many atoms, especially as regards the metallic elements. 
When, in addition, we take into consideration that the mutual disturbances of the 
electron orbits, in atoms containing a relatively large number of electrons, have been 
neglected, the agreement is probably as good as could be expected. Thus in the case 
of the hydrocarbons considered above, compounds which show no electrolytic 
dissociation and in the formation of which no transfer of electrons takes place from 
one atom to another on combination, we might expect that the addition of a 
hydrogen atom or a CH^ group would add a definite amount of diamagnetism 
to the compoimd. But in the case of the metals and some other elements, chemical 
combination may be accompanied by the transference of electrons, i.e., by a break¬ 
down of the magnetic elements of the atoms. In such cases the additive law could 
not hold. 
