36 
OIL-FIELD WATERS IN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, CAL. 
atomic scale. The following table shows the reaction coefficients of 
the positive and negative radicles most commonly found in waters: 
Reaction coefficients of positive and negative radicles most commonly found in waters. 
Positive radicles. 
Reaction coeffi¬ 
cients. 
Negative radicles. 
Reaction coeffi¬ 
cients. 
Rodinm fNa'l 
0.0434 
Sulphate (S0 4 ). 
0.0208 
Potassium fTO 
.0256 
Chloride (Cl). 
.0282 
Ca.lo.inm (Pa) 
.0499 
Nitrate (NO 3 ). 
.0161 
Masmesiiim 
* .0821 
Carbonate (CO 3 ). 
. 0333 
Hydrogen (H) . 
.992 
Bicarbonate (HCO 3 )... 
.0164 
Sulphide (S).j. 
.0622 
The reacting values of silica, iron, and alumina have been omitted 
from this table, as it is generally assumed that these substances are 
present as oxides in the colloidal state and therefore take no part in 
the chemical system of acids and bases. Stabler prefixes the letter r 
to the symbol of a radicle to designate its reacting value, and the 
same symbolization will be followed in this report. 
When the weights of the radicles have been translated into their 
reacting values the chemical nature of the whole system becomes 
apparent. Comparison is further facilitated, however, if the reacting 
values are reduced to a percentage basis, and this computation has 
been applied to all of the analyses here discussed. It will be observed 
that inasmuch as the sum of the positive radicles (bases) must be 
chemically equivalent to the sum of the negative radicles (acids), the 
reacting values of the two groups should be the same, each making 
up 50 per cent of the total. This principle is utilized by the chemist 
in making a partial analysis wherein the alkalies are calculated by 
difference. If the analysis under consideration is of this type the 
sum of the reacting values of the bases and acids should therefore be 
the same, but if all the constituents have been directly determined 
unavoidable errors usually cause the totals of basic and acidic reacting 
values to differ slightly and this difference is an index of the accuracy 
of the analysis. 
The conversion of the following analysis from the ionic form into 
reacting values is included in order to make this explanation clearer: 
Conversion of analysis from ionic form into reacting values. 
Parts per Reaction Reacting Reacting values 
million. coefficients. values, in per cent. 
Na. 435.2 X 0.0434 = 18.88 41.9 
Ca. 73.1 X • 0499 = 3.64 8.1 
508.3 22.52 50.0 
S0 4 . 45.9 X . 0208 = .95 2.1 
Cl. 421. 1 X . 0282 = 11. 87 26. 4 
C0 3 . 291.2 X , 0333 = 9.70 21.5 
758.2 22.52 50.0 
