New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-24

refned by the use OF the same substances 'h'd'ei
copper soda-llnne phosphorus pentoXide and magne-
slum) were employed In the first process'athoush
The apparatus slightly different
Lord Rayleich was engaged for years in these
and kindred experiments before he felt sure that
he dealing with a hitherto unknown substance.
one circumstance which to him seemed highly sig
nihcant that nitrogen isolated from the air
(Which is thought to BE- merely mechanical mix
ture). always seemed heavier than that obtained
from chemical combinations. Thus, certain eloDu.
lar vessel hllod with chemical nitrogen obtained
from five different sources weighed from 2%>' 10
1901 units while "atmOsp horio nitrogen produced
IN variety Of ways, gave results ranging from
23lpc TO bob II VIII be seen that thls was exceed
ingy delicate work 80 much 80 tnai tnt maj Nihd-
cation Of tn discoveries claim Is spoken Of az 4
triumph OF the last place OF dccmais.
The chief credit for this achievement ia due -
Lord Eaylcigh. Some short notice Of II WAS given
10 the pubhc last sprlng ana aiiracteI professor
Ramsay attention. He asked leave 10 investigate
the matter; and, working Independently. be reached
the same conc. ialOiL Samples OF "a" new gas were
sent 10 Nh CrOOkcs and Professor .-chustcr for
- - 49,. 80 ~. . - - - $3.50 80
new substance gave Two distinct slecTt, one IN Inc
red and the other In the blue ~ different tcmpcrt-
lures. both differing distinctly from the spectrum Of
nitrogen An examination Of the behavior ~ arecn
al extremely low temperatures was conducted 10y
Professor *. Oszcwsk Of Cracow. Professor
l)ewdr, who evinced scepllcism about argon last
August, was absent from the meeting OF the Royal
scented about three weeks ag5: which circumstance
means, perhaps. that he has no further protest
Offer.
The marked indisposltion # argon to combine
chemically with other substances leaves the dis
However. the research and revelation constitute
an exceedingly. brilliant scientific performance.
and some puzzl!ng questions have been opened up
for chemists. Nearly thirty years ago IL vas dis
covered by the eminent Russian. Mendeljen that
II elements were classified according to a certain
principle. a conspicuous mathematical relation
that existed between their atomic weights" they
would be found in groups. OF any OF which the
members had similar properties. This rhythmic or
periodic method OF classification has been adopted
so unreservedly that when any apparent discrep-
ancy is discovered. IL Is usual TO explain II,
az a violation OF Mendeljefs law. but the as
sumption II at the atomic weight has been mac
curately determined. Now. Lord Raylegh and
others disposed to put the atomic weight OF
argon at about 40. or twice the density 1871.
the theory that II is mona: orlc." But there is
no place for IL In Mendeije.fs tables. the
pcrts say: hence the question arises whether ii Is
not "d!atomc": that is. confOrmable to the prac-
tice OF combining or 1t ever does combine with any
other elemenO. in n ratio that takes TWO atoms OF
Ii at a time, instead OF one. on the other hand.
here Is a fresh difficulty. Every cement has
it's own distinctive specific heat" II placed side
by side with water over burning lamp. one VIII
acquire "a higher temperature In "A given time
than the other. Well. the investigators put the
ratio OF the specific heats" for arSon at lGo But
the corresponding figures for the best known
''diatomic" gases from 29 10 l.42: and there
are reasons which are wcghty with learned men
diatomic class and thrown back among the mon
the fundamental conceptions which physicists en-
terrain regarding the nature OF matter: 90 that
the discovery Of argon has given science a hard
O