General and Physical Chemistry
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View Article Online / Journal Homepage / Table of Contents for this issue 493 General and Physical Chemistry, Relation of Electrolytic Dissociation to Refractive Power : Non-electrolytes in Solution. Ivo ZOPPELLARI(Guxxettu, 1905, 35, i, 355-368).-Refractometric measurements of solutions of naphthalene, thymol, camphor, carbamide, and suci ose in benzene, methyl alcohol, acetone, and water show that the refractive powers vary with the concentrations of the solutions, the variations being of the same order as those shown by solutions of electrolytes. These variations depend either on a specific action of the solvent, which is, however, different for different substances, and may be related to the changes of volume occurring during solution, or on the inexact'itude of the formuh used to express refractive power, or on the fact that the law of mixtures is not rigorously applicable in all cases. Since the variations here observed are similar to those exhibited by electrolytes, the conclusions drawn with regard to the latter from the theory of electrolytic dissociation must be regarded as insecure. T. H. I?. Photographs of; Spark Spectra. 111. Ultraviolet Spark Spectra of Platinum and Chromium. WALTERE. ADENEY (JSci. Proc. Roy. DubZ. Xoc., 1904, 10, 235-2.19. Compare Abstr., 1902, ii, 57).-A full list is given of the wave-lengths of the lines observed. J. C. P. Absorption Spectra of Solutions of Chrome Alum. EFISIO FERREROand 34. NOZARI(Atti R. Accccd. Sci. l'o~i~o,1904-1905, 40, 453-462. Compare Abstr., 1901, ii, 203).-The absorption spectrum of a solution of chrome alum exhibits increasing absorption from the red Published on 01 January 1905. Downloaded 30/10/2014 15:21:56. to the Sellow, where it has a maximum value; the absorption then diminishes to the green, after which it increases again and becomes very great in the violet portion of the spectrum. Like the internal friction (Zoc. cit.), the absorption spectrum of solutions of chrome alum shows a distinct change when the tempera- ture is raised until the blue colour changes to green. The absorption spectrum OF the blue solution presents a black band, the least deviated edge of which gradually fades away, whilst the end which is most deviated is sharp; the former edge approaches the red when the solu- tion becomes green. The absorption curves for cliff erent temperatures show that the slope of the diminution of the absorption, which takes place as far as X=580, is very slight for temperatures below 67O, but at the latter temperature the slope becomes very distinct and remains the same at all higher temperatures. The maximum absorption for temperatures below 67' occurs at h=about 489, whilst at or above 67" the maximum is at X=about 497. Curves and tables of the results are given. T. H. P. Rotation of Optically Active Substances. CIIR. WINTHER (Zeit.physikuE. Chenz., 1905, 52, 200-208. Compare Abstr., 1902, ii, 589 ; 1904, ii, 4).-A discussion, suggested by Walden's recent lecture VOL. LXXXVIII. ii. 34 View Article Online 494 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. (this vol., ii, 130), of the most advantageous lines of future research on optical activity. The author insists on the necessity of determining rotation at dif-ferent temperatures, and for light of different wave- lengths, otherwise characteristic maxima remain undetected. As a measure of the rotation dispersion, the author advocates the use of dis- persion coefficients in preference to that of specific and molecular rota- tion dispersion, and urges that whilst the five Landolt colours should be taken into account, yellow should be chosen as the standard to which the others are referred. The author argues against the form of tem- perature coefficient suggested by Walden, and considers that the varia- tion of rotation with temperature should be represented by an equation of the type [ a]t = a & bt & ct2. Further, the bearing of time, variety of light, and temperature on the behaviour of each solvent should be investigated in detail. The value of this sort of work is seen to a certain extent in the '' solution dispersion coefficients " previously determined (Winther, Zoc. cit.). J. C. P. Limits of Visibility of Fluorescence and the Higher Limit of the Absolute Weight of Atoms. WALTHERESPRING (Rec. Zb'av. chirn., 1905, 24, 297-304. Compare de Bruyn and Wolff, Abstr., 1904, ii, 470).-The fluorescence of a solution of fluorescein or of eosin in optically transparent water (Abstr., 1899, ii, 537) becomes invisible in daylight when the amount of the fluorescent substance present falls to 0~000,000,01gram per c.c., and is just visible at the apex of a powerful beam of electric light when the concentration is 0~000,000,000,000,001 gram per C.C. It is found that the area of liquid illuminated by the apex of the cone of light must be at least 1 sq. mm. in order to render the fluorescence visible, and conse- quently, assuming that 1 cubic millimetre of the liquid contains at least one molecule of fluorescein (mol. wt. 408) for example, then the Published on 01 January 1905. Downloaded 30/10/2014 15:21:56. weight of an atom of hydrogen would be 2.5 x grams. This value, which represents only the higher limit among possible values, is much smaller than those arrived at from other considerations by Clerk Maxwell, Kelvin, de Heen, Annaheim, and others. T. A. H. Crystalloluminescence and Triboluminescence. MAXTRAUTZ and P. SCHORIGIN(Zeit. Elektrochern., 1905, 11, 306-307).-Many substances exhibit temporary triboluminescence consisting in bluish- white sparks produced in the crystals when they are broken. Among these are crystals of arsenic trioxide (from acid solution) and of sodium bromate. The following substances show feeble permanent triboluminescence in addition to the temporary phenomenon (which disa,ppears in some days or weeks after the crystals are made) : Barium chlorate, barium, strontium, calcium and magnesium bromates, potassium sodium sulphate (2 K,SO,,Na,SO,), and potassium sulphate crystallised from a solution containing potassium hydrogen sulphate and sodium fluoride. Crystalloluminescence was observed with all substances possessing triboluminescence ; it is probably the same phenomenon caused by impacts of the crystals on each other as they are formed in the solution. T. E. View Article Online GENERAL AND PHYSICAT, CHEMISTRY. 495 Sensitiveness of Photographic Action due to Hydrogen Peroxide. J. PRECHTarid C. OTSUICI(Xed. pl~ysikaI. Chem., 1905, 52, 236-238. Compare this vol., ii, 296).-By means of its action on a photographic plate it is possible to detect hydrogen peroxide in the concentration 3 x 10-9 grams per C.C. of space. J. C. P. Some Properties of the a-Rays from Radium. ERNEST RUTHERFORD(Phil. Mug., 1905, [ vi], 10, 163-1 76).-The paper contains preliminary results of an attempt to determine the velocity and the ratio e/m of the a-particle emitted from radium. It has been shown by Bragg and Kleeman (this vol., ii, 5) that four sets of a-rays are emitted from radium, ea<h capable of producing ionisation through a definite and different distance in air (that is, probably, each set is of a definite velocity), and that the ionisation power ceases abruptly at the limiting distance. The source of the a-rays employed by the author was the deposit on the thin mire which had been negatively charged in the presence of radium bromide, and under the conditions of the experiment the rays examined would be almost entirely those from radium C. The deflection of the path by a strong magnetic field showed no widening of the cone of rays, so thht all the particles were travelling with the same velocity. The value of mV/e obtained from the deflection was 3.98 x 105. The deflection by an electric field has not been determined, but on the assumption that the heating effect of radium C is entirely due to the a-particles, the value for mV2/e is obtained at 1.03 x 1016. These lead to V=2% x lo9 cms. per Becond, and elm = 6.5 x 103 electromagnetic units ; a result in good accord with previous estimates. The effect of sheets of thin aluminium foil on the velocity was also investigated, and it was found that although a clear photographic irupression WAS obtained after passage through 12 sheets (0.00031 em. each), no effect was obtained after pas- Published on 01 January 1905. Downloaded 30/10/2014 15:21:56. sage through 13 sheets, and the relative velocities after passing through various I hicknesses ai e given, thus : V, = 1.00 ; 5 sheets, 0.85 V, ; 10 sheets, 0*73V,; 12 sheets, 0*64J/T,. The energy after passage through 12 sheets is 0.41 of the original value, and the results indicate that the same proportion of the total energy is abstracted from the a-particles in passing - through successive layers. The abrupt falling-off of the photographic activity was found to correspond with the abrupt ceasing of the ionisation activity, and also with the phosphorescent action, and hence indicates that most probably photographic and phosphor- escent effects are due to ionisation. The velocity of the a-particlts on emission is only about 30 per cent. more than that at which ionisation effects cease, and this leads the author to make the interesting sugges- tion that probably similar disintegration of matter and emission of particles is taking place in many other kinds of matter, but that the velocity of the particles is too small to produce those electrical or photographic effects by wfiich this emission has been detected. r,. M. J, Secondary Radiation. JOHNA. MCCLELLAND(Sci. Trans. Roy. Dubl.