The Rev. T.E. Lindsay, B.A., F.C.S., F.G.S. read a paper on “The Loves of the Atom”.
Under the somewhat fantastic title the lecturer gave a description of the nature & combination of atoms using the analogous terms of affection. After illustrating the extreme minuteness of the atom, be the division of a grain of gold into 4-900 million visible pieces, the properties of the atoms of different elements were described, e.g. size, weight, colour & chemical properties.
I – Roughly classifying the elements as electro-positive & – negative, those of each class were arranged in the order of displacement in solution & compounds formed between elements of the two classes were shown to be more stable than between those of the same group.
II – The methods of determining the relative weight & volumes of atoms were briefly described.
III – The atomicity, or the atom fixing power of elements was described taking as the standard monad unit & the varying atomicity of such elements as P & N was given.
IV – The laws of chemical combination were illustrated, viz.
- The law of definite proportions
- Multiple &
- Equivalent proportions.
Next the lecturer dealt with chemical affinity or combination proper showing
i. The combination of atoms of the same elements in varying proportions to form allotropic modifications at ozone, Phosphorous & carbon.
ii. The combination of atoms of different elements touching upon the conditions regulating such unions as e.g.
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- Nearness of combining atoms as in solution.
- Presence of bodies assisting combination, yet not themselves entering into it, as catalysis & oxygen carriers.
iii. Assistance of heat, light & electricity
iv. Quantity of reagents in solution.
After touching upon the ascent state of elements the lecturer concluded by discussing the stability of compounds showing that it varied with the amount of energy evolved or “run down” in their formation & with a speculation as to the ultimate nature of this attraction.