The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-30

the proportion Is not changed. however
many Particles be considered.
II has been Pointed out by Judge Stallo,
81 philadelphia. 81 his Concepts OF
Physics that such a hypothesis as that
Of Dalton Is no explanation. that a fact
81 nature. as, for example. the fact ct
simple and multiple proportions, Is not
explained BY being minin6d. Allowing the
general truth OF this statement Il Is new
ertheleSs undouhted that chemistry owes
much to naltOn's hypothesis a lucky
guess at first. il represents one of the
fundamental truths Of nature although
It's forms must be somewhat modified
from that I'm which Dalton conceived x.
l1aitons work was first eSpounced by
THOMAS Thomson, professor at Glasgow,
IN his system OF Chemistry" published
IN lSs; and subsequently IN palton's own
the three volumes OF which were pub
hshed IN ISIS in tSl9 and ia 1877
The determination Of these Constants
or Nature" WAS at once followed ont by
many chemists; Thomson among the first.
hut chief among the chemists who have
pursued this branch OF work was Jacob
hsrzelins. Swede. who devoted his long
life uFse-iStS TO the manufacture OF COM
pounds and to the determination OF their
composition. or. as Il is stu termed. the
determination OF tho atomic wefghts''-
more correctly. "equivaients'--of the ele-
rnents Of which they are composed. II IL
70 MIN that we owe most OF our analytical
methods. for prior to his time there were
few u any accurate analyses. Although
i.ayoisier had devised n method for the
analysis of compounds Of carbon, viz, by
burning the organic compounds In an at
jar over mercury, and measuring the vol
ume or carbon dioNide produced, well
as that OF the residual oxygen. Berreiius
achieved the same results more accurate
~ and more expeditiousiy by heating tho
substance, mixed with chlorate az potaS~
sum and sodium chloride. and then esti-
mating the hydrogen as well ~ the car
BON this process WAS afterward perfect
ed by Iiehig. Berzelius, however, was
able g show that compounds OF carbon.
like those OF other elements. were In
stances Of combination in constant and in
multiple proportions.
In ISIS two papers were published In tho
Annals OF Philosophy by DIR. praut.
which had much Influence on the progress
Of chemistry They dealt with the hg-
ures which were being obtained by Thcm~
son; Befzelias and others, at that time
weights" Of the elements. prout's by
pothcsis, based on only few numbers.
was that the atomic weishts % all ele-
taken as unity. There was much dispute
regarding this assertion at the time. but
as Il was contradieted by Berselius num-
bers, the balance OF opinion was against
IT, But about the year isao Dumas dts
covered an error In the number uS>lel
given by Berzelius as the atomic weight
OF carbon; and with his collaboration. stes.
undertook the radetermination OF tina
atomic weights ~ the commoner elr-
ments. for example. carbon, oxygen.
search was subsequently pursued alone by
Stns whose name viii always he remem-
bored for the precision and accuracy %
his experiments. AT first Dumas and Stas
inclined 20 the view that Prouta hypothe-
sis was n lust one but Il was completely
dispruved by Stas' subsequent work, as
well as by that Of numerous other OBJ
servers II Is nevertheless curious that a
much larger proportion Of the atomic
weights approximate TO whole numbers
than would he foreioid by the doctrine Of
a.
been heard Of prout's hypothesis, al
though in its original crude form IL IN no
longer worthy Of credenca.
covcries Of the century was made by
Gay-Lussac lTss-iSAl IN the year ISIS, In
conjunction with Alexander Won Hum
three years before what had previously
been established BY Cavcndish. namely.
that as nearly a. possible. two volumes
Of hydrogen combine with one volume Of
oxygen 70 form water. the gases having
been measured at the same temperature
and pressure. Humboldt suggested TO
vestigate whether similar simple relations
exist between the volumes OF other vase
Gus substances when they combine with
each other This turned out 20 oe the
case, Il appeared that almost exactly two
volumes OF carbonic oxide unite with one
volume Of oxygen 20 form carbon dinn.
ide; that equal volumes " chlorine and
hydrogen unite TO form hydtochiorir acid
gas; that two volumes OF ammonia gas
consist Of three volumes Of hydrogen IN
union with one volume q NITROGEN and
40 on From such facts. Gay-i,unsac WAS
led TO make the statement thnt The
weights ~ equal volumes ~ both simple
aud compound sssea, and therefore their
aensltsea are proportional 10 their en-.
plricaily found combining weights. or 20
rational mnltlplss ~ the latter Cay
fussac recognized this discovery Of hts
10 be a support for the atomic theory
bnt II dld not accord with many az the
then ressiyed atomic weights. The az
sumption that equal volumes % Taaer
contain equal numbers " particles, Or
Intergranies was made Ia 1911 by AvcgHd-
70. professor az pnysien At Turin fl7st-
issD. This theory. which pas proved %
hath of physics and OF ehemisirxs haa
no doubt occurred TO Uny~fsusAAes and
had been rejected y him Tor me follnN
gen. sag one cutie Inch. may De supposed
10 contain an equal NUMBER ot particles
fatomsl "a an equal volume 81 chlorine.
Now these two gases muite ~ equal volt
umcs The Deduction app~aff 40 fat quite
legitimate fhRt one atom Of hydrogen has
combined with naa atom Fl chlorine. Bot
snebaa and must therefore contain the
same number ~ Particles OF hydfoNan
chloride. the compound of ne two eiem'
ents as emo tshte inch originally con
tsinsa az hydrogen. az ~ chlorine T1ans
sge haws fWa aatAia tHNh@N containing. -
uncotntssnea raHeH, swieS - many PARTICLES
combinations AEaeafdos hypofheeis
solved she difficulty ftV promising faa
dlrHrent orders ~ Nsfteiss, npS taFmfd
atoms ana ngoleenlgs rms roiutioh maa
niatn AcnaFsinm - hlfa each particle
~ ruoiscala ~ hgdyaaen = comglsH,
snd contains two STONE tha sans = The
case with chlorine. Wien thnae Frafs
rarnNtne ~ FHthsr react % form hydro.
gen rhiastse fbe phenomenon y rrs "
= change 81 paflnnTss thc uoiersise. ihs
dguHfe atom N hydrogen splits. TIE same
h. tba rsaa With fhe uniarsis - ratofs
Inc ArH each liberated afnm ~ hydrogen
uh.teW wfth iiheFsf ca atom ~ rhfNrnr.
fafrsfrn < eafafuaaf hydrogen c2lgafsse.
which esualIy rensasss - a nsolsesis. NJ
double asau rms two cubic insbne -
hydrogen ehlugI8a consists - dedaits
rHrrtsr ~ rgfies-Ilss saaAl N naHsfser
~ shrse eaugasaed u n9p4n fnrti ~
ygfaEaa. rsun th8pz contained IN = rasiq
tnrh - rNiggfuf. The rHse n rfestSsif
sfin.flas = other cofapeuuis 81 Fesss -
considered
shte fhaaFy egs. taaec&, wsnt ~ Tar ~
sa rhsnsa nsaaY ~ Ms atafaio wsiEnfs e
ssis ~ sHar1 si it NUt iHfef - fafnr1n Dat
,etfharfw ,fnsn hsa position ter Y zrF1aFs
~ ~ NIrn fhaf tg MAs ha&sfdN1F - 81
tend 10 ftNfAfa aaA et8i&e 2 tRNTF wfssN
3 "A aHa ~