British Chemical Abstracts. A. Pure Chemistry, June

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BRITISH CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS

A . - P U R E CHEMISTRY

J U N E , 1931, . ^■

_

L s

C P s:

G en era l, P h y s ic a l, a n d I n o r g a n ic C h e m istr y .

S t e lla r h y d r o g e n lin e s a n d their* r e la tio n to th e S ta r k e ffe c t. C. T. E l v e y and 0 . S t r u v e (Astropliys. J ., 1930, 72, 277— 300).— Observations of th e wings of th e hydrogen lines in early type stars.

L. S. Th e o b a l d.

S t a r k e ffe c t in m o le c u la r h y d r o g e n in .t h e r a n g e 4 1 0 0 — 4 7 0 0 A . J . K . L. ^Ma cDo n a l d (Proc.

R oy. Soc., 1931, A , 1 3 1 , 146— 154; ef. A., 1929, 616).— C ertain complex structures reported by K iu ti as com ponents of a single line (A., 1926, 103) are resolved into separate lines. Displacem ents of line com ponents are m easured a n d th e observations dis

cussed from a theoretical point of view.

L. L. Bi r c u m s i i a w.

S p e c tr a of t h e h e liu m g lo w d is c h a r g e . H . McN. Co w a n, W . L. Br o w n, and K . G. Em e l é u s

(N ature, 1931, 1 2 7 , 593).—The distribution of in ten sity in th e arc spectrum of H e i obtained in an investigation of th e cold cathode glow discharge in helium w ith probe wires is described.

N e w u lt r a - v io le t s p e c t r u m of h e liu m . J. J.

Ho p f i e l d (Astropliys. J ., 1930, 7 2 , 133—145).—The resonance series of helium in th e ultra-violet has been extended to ten m embers, an d lines in orders as high as the fifth have been m easured. Intense continuous spectra of m olecular origin have been found between 500 an d 1125 A., and tin s is th e only strong con

tinuous spectrum in the region 500—900 Á. Two distinct species of helium molecules are postulated to explain th e results. The first absorption spectra to be obtained betw een 500 an d 900 Á. are recorded for 0 2 and Ho. L. S. Th e o b a l d.

C o m b in e d e le c tr ic a n d m a g n e t ic f ie ld s o n th e h e liu m s p e c tr u m . II. J . S. Fo s t e r (Proc. R o y .

Soc., 1931, A , 1 3 1 , 133—146; cf. A., 1929, 364).—A study has been m ade of th e effect of sim ultaneous electric an d m agnetic fields applied in either parallel or perpendicular directions on th e helium spectrum .

L. L. ^Bi r c u m s h a w.

T e m p e r a tu r e d e te r m in a t io n f r o m b a n d sp e c tr a . I. V ib r a tio n a l e n e r g y d is tr ib u t io n and v ib r a tio n a l t r a n s itio n p r o b a b ilitie s in th e cy a n o g e n 2S —2S b a n d s y s t e m . L. S . Or n s t e i n

and H. ^Br i n k m a n (Proc. K . Akad. W etensch. A m ster

dam, 1931, 3 4 , 33— 41).—The intensity distribution in the cyanogen 2S —2S ban d system has been d eter

mined by m easurem ents of th e m axim um intensities of the b and heads. A distribution tem perature for the vibrational levels exists and is th e same as for the rotational levels. J . W. Sm i t h.

y y 6 6 3

I n te n s ity r e la tio n s h ip s in th e a lk a li d o u b le ts . E . ^Fe r m i ( Nu o v o Cim., 1930, 7, 201—207; Chem.

Zentr., 1930, ii, 2352—2353).—A recom putation gives results in accord w ith experim ental values.

A. A. ^El d r i d g e.

Z e e m a n e ffe c t in s ilic o n a n d b a n d s p e c tr a of a lk a lin e -e a r th flu o r id e s . (Miss) E . v o n M a t h e s

(Z. Physik, 1931, 68, 493—504).—The Zeem an effect in th e 3p3P 0i,,2- 4 D 3P 0>1,2 lines near 2510

A.,

and in th e lines a t 2881 an d 3905

A.

of silicon, were m easured, an d were found to agree w ith Fow ler’s electronic level system for n eu tral silicon. T he Zee

m an effect in calcium, barium , an d stro n tiu m fluorides was also m easured an d com pared w ith theory.

A. B. D . ^Ca s s i e.

I n te r p r e ta tio n o f c e r ta in 2A, II2 b a n d s of s ilic o n h y d r id e . R . S. Mu l l i k e n (Physical R ev., 1931, [ii], 37, 733—735).—Theoretical. I t is shown th a t th e bands found b y Jackson (cf. A., 1930, 388) have a regular 2n sta te and are thus closely analogous to th e ^X4300 bands of CH. N. ^{M . B}l i g h.

I n t e n s it ie s in s t e lla r s p e c tr a of a tr ip le t of S i m . O. S t r u v e and C. T. E l v e y (Astrophys, J., 1930, 7 2 , 267—276).—The ratios of to ta l adsorptions of th e Si i n trip let a t 4553, 4568, an d 4575

A.

in stellar spectra depend on th e form of th e absorp

tion coefficient. L. S. T h e o b a l d .

R e s o n a n c e s p e c t r u m o f s u lp h u r v a p o u r . J.

F r i d r i c h s o n (Compt. rend., 1931, 1 9 2 , 737—739;

cf. Swings, A., 1930, 650, 829).—The resonance spec

tru m of sulphur vapour has been observed to 6000 A., an d th ree sets of four doublets excited b y th e 3132, 3126, an d 2968 m ercury lines, and of a series of four quadruplets excited by th e 3132

A.

line, have been measured. C. A. S i l b e r r a d .

A b s o r p tio n lin e s o f s u lp h u r ( S h i a n d S l i ) in s t e lla r s p e c tr a . F . E . ^Ro a c h (Astrophys. J ., 1930, 7 2 , 191— 198).—Stellar lines due to th e S m ion have been identified. Six newly-m easured lines are a ttr i

b u ted to th e S n ion. L. S. Th e o b a l d.

R e s o n a n c e m u lt ip le t s a n d th e m o m e n t of in e r tia o f d ia to m ic s u lp h u r m o le c u le s . P.

Sw i n g s (Bull. A c a d . roy. Belg., 1931, [ v ] , 1 7 , 420— 424).—The m om ent of in ertia of the diatom ic sulphur molecule is 7 X 10-39 c.g.s.u. Fine structures observed in th e resonance radiatio n of S2, are classified as rotatio n doublets. C. W . ^Gi b b y.

T it a n iu m c o m p a r is o n s p e c tr u m a s a p h o to  m e t r ic s c a le . P . C. ^Ke e n a n (Astrophys. J., 1931, 7 3 . 118— 123).—The relative intensities of IS lines in

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664 BR IT ISH CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS. A .

t h e t i t a n i u m c o m p a r i s o n s p e c t r u m h a v e b e e n d e t e r m i n e d i n o r d e r t o p r o v i d e p h o t o m e t r i c c a l i b r a t i o n f o r e a r l y s t e l l a r s p e c t r o g r a m s . L. S. Th e o b a l d.

R e so n a n c e r a d ia tio n f r o m m a n g a n e s e v a p o u r . J . F r i d r i c j i s o x (Z. Physik, 1931, 68, 550—553; cf.

A., 1930, 1227).—R adiation from copper and silver arcs, and also white light excite th e resonance trip let a t 4032

A.

A. B . D . C a s s i e .

A n o m a lo u s d o u b le t s t r u c t u r e of th e 4 2F t e r m s of c o p p e r. S. Sa m b u r s k y (Naturwiss., 1931, 19, 309—310).—I t appears t h a t th e 42.F term is inverted.

Similar behaviour has been evidenced in the spark

spectrum of zinc. A. J . Meb.

N e w b a n d s y s te m of c o p p e r h y d rid e . P . C.

M a h a n t i (N ature, 1 9 3 1 , 127, 5 5 7 ) .—A six-headed b an d system has been found in the region 2 9 0 0 —

2200 A.

The bands are double-headed and th e stru c tu re consists of six m ain branches and three satellites.

S p e c tr u m of s e le n iu m . I. S e i v a n d S e v . K , R . R a o and J . S. B a d a m i (Proc. Roy. Soc., 1931, A, 131, 154— 169).—The spectrum of selenium has been investigated from 7000 to 650 A., using suitably strong discharges through capillary tubes containing selenium vapour. Photographs have also been tak en of th e vacuum spark spectrum of selenium in th e region 1400

—

400

A.

The doublet, system of trebly- ionised selenium has been identified, an d a term scheme is proposed. The ionisation potential is about 42-72 volts. The four iso-electronic spectra Ga I, Ge n , As n r, and Se iv are compared. A few singlet and intercom biiiation lines have been added to th e trip let system of Se v found b y Sawyer and H um phreys (A., 1928, 1296). The approxim ate ionisation potential is 72-S volts.

S p e c tr u m of sin g ly -io n is e d a n tim o n y . ^{D .} G.

D h a v a l e (Proc. R oy.Soc., 1931, A, 131, 109— 121).—

New m easurem ents of th e first spark spectrum of antim ony have been m ade over th e range 8 5 0 0— 3000

A.

The classification of th e lines again illustrates th e use of the arithm etic progression law (cf. Saha and Kichlu, A., 1928, 209) and th e m ethod of horizontal comparison (Saha and M azumdar, A., 1928, 1296).

The ionisation p otential of Sb+ is estim ated to be abo u t 18-8 volts. L. L. B i r c t i m s h a w .

T e m p e r a t u r e c la s s ific a tio n of th e s t r o n g e r lin e s of n io b iu m , w ith p r e lim in a r y n o te s o n t h e i r h y p e r fin e s tr u c t u r e . A. S. Kixc; (Astrophys. J ., 1931, 73, 13—25).—The electric furnace spectra a t 2500—2900° have been com pared w ith th e arc an d spark spectra. A pproxim ately 200 lines appear in th e furnace spectrum , b u t m any n eu tral and all ionised lines required higher excitation. A bout 40%

of th e 646 lines tab u lated show hyperfine stru ctu re.

L. S. ^Th e o b a l d.

E v id e n c e f o r th e p re s e n c e of r h e n iu m f r o m th e F r a u n h o f e r lin e s in t h e s o l a r s p e c tr u m . H . ^Sc h o b e r (N atunviss., 1931,19, 310).— Of 60 strong lines in th e rhenium spectrum 24 appear to coincide w ith F raunhofer lines, th ere being correspondence as regards in ten sity . A. J . Me e.

F in e s t r u c t u r e in t h e m e r c u r y s in g le t t e r m s . S. ^To l a n s k y (N ature, 1931,127, 595).—A correction.

R e la tiv e in te n s itie s of m e r c u r y lin e s u n d e r d iffe re n t c o n d itio n s of e x c ita tio n . M. J . E.

Go l a y (Physical R ev., 1931, [ii], 37, 821— 829; cf.

H ouston, A., 1929, 480).—Using a Cooper-Hewitt arc a n d a mercury-filled tu b e th e relative intensities of th e lines of th e 2s—2 trip let were measured. The variations, then- interpretation , and the mechanisms of emission are discussed. N. M. ^Bl i g h.

M o le c u la r s p e c tr a of m e r c u r y , zin c, c a d m iu m , m a g n e s iu m , a n d th a lliu m . H. Ha m a d a (Nature, 1931, 127, 555).—The b and system em itted from diatom ic molecules of m ercury, cadmium , zinc, and m agnésium vapours has tw o broad m axim a and one flat m inim um of intensity. The calculated energy of dissociation of th e molecules Zn2, Cd2, an d H g2 are 0-29,0-24, an d ^ 0 -0 7 volt, respectively. Sym m etrical an d asym m etrical bands accom panying th e lines in the spectrum of thallium are probably due to thallium

molecules. L. S. ^Th e o b a l d.

S tr u c t u r e of e x c ita tio n fu n c tio n s f o r m e r c u r y lin e s . K . ^Si e b e r t z (Z. Physik, 1931, 68, 505—

521).—An im proved ap p aratu s for m easurem ent of optical excitation functions is described; electron velocities can be varied by as little as 0-2 volt, and this reveals several m axim a in curves si lowing optical intensity a t an y electron v e lo c it y .

A. B . D . Ca s s i e.

Is o to p e effect in th e h y p e r fin e s t r u c t u r e of th a lliu m . H . Sc h ü l e r and J . E. Iv e y s t o n (Natur- wiss., 1931, 19, 320—321).—The intensity relation

ships in th e hyperfine stru ctu re of th e T l I an d T1 i i

lines m ay be q uan titativ ely in terp reted in term s of a new isotope effect. If th e isotopes are assum ed to have at. wts. of 203 an d 205 an d to be present in the proportion necessary to yield th e norm al a t. w t. of the element, th e calculated num ber, positions, an d intensities of th e com ponents accord fully w ith those determ ined experim entally. The relative displace

m ent of th e isotope term s is especially large for the 6s26p2P , „ term of Tl ^Iand th e ds7j)1P 1 term of T in .

H . F . Gi l l b e.

B a n d s p e c tr u m of b i s m u th h y d rid e . A.

Heim h e and E . Hi t l t h é n (N ature, 1931,127, 557).—

A band spectrum in th e region of th e bism uth line 4722 A. has been observed. The bands consist of single P an d 11 branches w ith well-resolved lines.

H y p e rfin e s t r u c t u r e s e p a r a tio n s . S. Go u d s m i t

(Physical R ev., 1931, [ii], 37,66 3—681).—Theoretical.

Using S later’s m ethod of th e invariance of energy sum s (cf. A., 1930, 126) expressions are derived for the hyperfine structure separations of th e levels of com

plicated electron configurations in different types of

coupling. N. M. ^Bl i g h.

S y n c h ro n o u s f ilm d r u m fo r r e c o r d in g p e r io d ic s p e c tr a . ^{D .} C. ^St o c k b a r g e r and ^{G .} G. ^Se l i g

(Rev. Sei. In str., 1931, [ii], 2, 211— 216).—The con

struction of a drum film holder to replace th e plate holder of a q uartz spectrograph for th e photography of th e periodic spectra of altern atin g-current arcs is described. I t is driven by a synchronous m otor

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G EN E R A L , PH Y SIC A L , A N D IN OR GA NIC CHEM ISTRY. 6 6 5

o p e r a t i n g o n t h e s a m e c u r r e n t s u p p l y a s t h e d i s c h a r g e

t u b e . C. W . Ge b b y.

H y p e rfin e s t r u c t u r e a s a t e s t of a l in e a r w a v e e q u a tio n in th e tw o -b o d y p r o b le m . D. R . In g l i s

(Physical R ev., 1931, [ii], 37, 795—799).—M athe

m atical. The relativistic tre a tm e n t of a nucleus and an electron gives rise to doubtful term s no t agreeing w ith hyperfine stru ctu re m easurem ents.

jST. M. ^Bl i g h.

T r a n s m i s s io n of l i g h t b y t h i n film s of m e ta l.

S. Ra m a s w a m y (Proc. R oy. Soc., 1931, A, 131, 307—320).

T h e o r e tic a l f o r m u la fo r th e a b s o r p tio n ju m p . V. Po s e j p a l (Compt. rend., 1931,192, 879—881; cf.

th is vol., 13).—A form ula is given for th e absorption jum p, defined as th e ra tio where t 1; t 2 are the tru e absorption coefficients for th e frequencies Vjf-J—s an d vK—s for th e lim it e = 0 , v* being th e critical K absorption frequency. is calculated for all elem en ts; th e values agree satisfactorily w ith the experim ental results available.

C . A . SlL B ER R A D .

S c a tte r in g of X -r a y s b y m e r c u r y v a p o u r.

Y. H . W oo (N ature, 1931, 127, 556—557).—

T heoretical. L. S. Th e o b a l d.

D e p e n d e n c e of X -r a y a b s o r p tio n s p e c tr a on c h e m ic a l a n d p h y s ic a l s ta te . J . D. Ha n a w a l t

(Physical R ev., 1931, [ii], 37, 715— 726).—The X -ray absorption spectra of arsenic, selenium, bromine, zinc, m ercury, xenon, an d krypton, an d some of their compounds were photographed for th e solid and vapour states, an d th e effect of th e chemical and physical sta te of th e absorbing ato m on th e secondary stru ctu re lying to th e sh o rt w ave-length side of th e m am absorption edge was investigated. The four last-nam ed m onatom ic vapours showed no secondary structure fa rth e r from th e m ain edge th a n th e ionis

ation poten tial of th e a to m ; polyatom ic vapours usually have a secondary stru ctu re sim ilar to th a t for the solid state. The secondary absorption of solid sodium brom ate shows an additional stru ctu re no t observed for a solution. The view th a t com pleted electron shells of atom s in th e solid sta te indicate the absence of secondary absorption edges is n o t sup

ported. N . M. ^Bl i g i i.

T h e “ R a y ” m o d ific a tio n of th e fre q u e n c y of X -ra y s . J . H . v a n d e r T u u k (Naturwiss., 1931, 19, 308).—A repetition of R a y ’s experim ent of passing copper K a 2 rays through carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen is described. The au th o r was unable to find th e modified lines on th e long-wave-length side

reported by R ay. A. J . M ee.

E n e r g y d is t r ib u tio n in c o n tin u o u s X -r a y s p e c tra . K . K . ^Ag l i n t z e v (J. Appl. Chem. Russia, 1929, 6, No. 2, 38—46). Ch e m i c a l Ab s t r a c t s.

X -R ay n o n d i a g r a m l i n e s . G. B. De o d h a r

(Proc. R oy. Soc., 1931, A, 131, 476—493).—I n the K and L series non-diagram lines, p a n s have been detected which show approxim ately constant V v ¡R differences. The com ponents of these p a h s appear to arise from transitions in m ultiply-ionised atom s which are characterised by th e sam e initial and final total q uantum num bers, b u t have different screening

constants. I n spite of th e constancy of th e a V v /R values, all th e p a h s do n o t show th e required linear variation of Av/72 w ith atom ic num ber. Tbese pairs also show some analogy w ith th e usual screening doublets. L. L. ^Bi r c u m s h a w.

E le c tr o n re fle x io n in a 9 -d ic h lo ro e th a n e . E.

Be r g m a n n and L. En g e l (Pliysikal. Z., 1931, 32, 263—264).-—C ontrary to th e conclusion of W ierl th a t electron reflexion in ap-dichloroethane indicates th a t th is substance consists of a m ixture of cis- and trans- modifications, reconsideration of th e m echanism of th e reflexion leads to a stru ctu re in agreem ent w ith those obtained from X -ray analysis and organic

chem istry. W . ^Go o d.

E le c tr o n d iffr a c tio n a n d m o le c u la r s t r u c t u r e . R . ^W i e r l (Ann. Physik, 1931, ^{8 ,}[v], 521—564; A., 1931, 13).—The theory of diffraction of X -rays by a single molecule is applied to th e ease of diffraction of electrons b y th e molecules of a gas. Erom th e elec

tro n diffraction p a tte rn obtained b y passing a beam of high-speed electrons through a gaseous stream th e characteristic form and atom ic distances of the mole

cule of th e substance are evaluated. E xperim ental details of th e m ethod an d results for 20 substances

are given. W. Go o d.

[M ean fre e p a t h of e le c tro n s in g a s e s .] V. A.

Ba i l e y (Phil. Mag., 1931, [vii], 11, 1052— 1057).—

R em arks on publications b y R am sauer an d b y F ran ck an d Jo rd an .

In flu e n c e of r a d ia tiv e fo rc e s on th e s c a tt e r i n g of e le c tro n s . N . F. ^Mo t t (Proc. Camb. Phil. Soc., 1931, 27, 255—267).

I o n is a tio n of m e r c u r y v a p o u r b y e le c tro n im p a c t. P . T. Sm i t h (Physical R ev., 1931, [ii], 37, 808— 814; cf. Jones, A., 1927, 708; Bleakney, A., 1930, 391).—B y using an ap p aratu s previously described (cf. this vol., 10), th e to tal num ber of posi

tive charges per electron im pact in m ercury was deter

m in e d as a function of th e energy of th e im pacting electrons up to 750 volts. The m axim um efficiency 19-4 occurs a t about 85 volts (cf Lawrence, A., 1927, 85; Hughes, A., 1930, 1230). N. M. Bl i g h.

Q u a n tu m m e c h a n ic s of c r y s ta ls . E . L. Hi l l

(Physical R ev., 1931, [ii], 37, 7S5—794; cf. Morse, A., 1930, 976).—M athem atical. The reflexion of a beam of electrons from a typ e of one-dimensional lattice containing an y num ber of u n it cells is inves

tig ated ; th e m ore complex case approxim ating to actu al crystals is considered briefly. N. M. ^Bl i g h.

C a p tu r e of e le c tro n s f r o m m e r c u r y a to m s b y p o s itiv e io n s of h e liu m . C. F . ^Po w e l l and A. M.

Ty n d a l l (N ature, 19 31 ,127, 592^—593; cf. A., 1930, 1336).—M easurem ents of th e mobilities of ions in helium containing a small am ount of m ercury vapour (1 : 3 X 101) show electron exchange from m ercury to helium, and provide a m ethod for the determ ination of m obility of positive ions in gaseous helium.

C o n c e n tra tio n of b u n d le s of s lo w e le c tro n s . I. ^Ra n z i (Nuovo Cimv 1930, 7, 254—259; Chem.

Z entr., 1930, ii, 2350— 2351).

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666

BB IT ISH CHEMICAL ABST R A C TS.— A .

C ry s ta l p h o to g r a p h s of e le c tro n w a v e s b y a fo c u s sin g m e th o d . S. v o n Fr i e s eN (Naturwiss., 1931,19, 361).—A qualitative a tte m p t to photograph the diffraction of electrons from a th in layer of zinc oxide b y m eans of an arrangem ent sim ilar to th a t used by Bohlin and Seeman for X -rays is discussed.

W. R . An g u s.

“ I n t e r n a l ” d e g re e s of f r e e d o m of a n e le c tro n . V. Fo c k (Z. Physik, 1931, 28, 522—534).—M athe

m atical. A. B. ^{D . C}a s s i e.

Q u a n ttu n m e c h a n ic s of a to m ic c o llis io n s.

L. Go l d s t e i n (Compt. rend., 1931,192, 1022— 1024).

—A calculation of the probability of excitem ent of discrete or continuous atomic levels by collision w ith n eutral atom s or rapid positive ions.

C. A. SlL B ER R A D .

M e tr ic a l th e o r y a n d it s r e la tio n to th e c h a r g e a n d m a s s e s of th e e le c tro n a n d p ro to n . H . T.

Fl i n t (Proc. Roy. Soc., 1931, A, 131, 170— 177).—

The principles of conservation of m om entum an d energy applied to two masses show th a t th e four

dimensional m om entum is conserved. A five-dimen

sional continuum is investigated, an d it is shown th a t th e corresponding five-dimensional quantities are also conserved. On this theory it is deduced th a t m atter can be destroyed b y th e union of an electron and a proton when th e two particles possess equal and opposite fifth m om entum components.

L. L. ^Be r c u m s h a w.

S u p e rp o s itio n of e le c tro n c h a rg e s i n m o le c u le s a n d a - p a rtic le s . W . H . ^Ro d e b u s h (J. Amer.

Chein. Soc., 1931,53,1611— 1612).—Theoretical. The

“ residual affinity ” postulated to explain such com

pounds as B 2H g m ay be due to th e overlapping of charge, w ithout the exchange phenomenon.

J . G . A. Gr i f f i t h s.

P o s s ib ility of s e p a r a t in g n e o n in to i t s is o to p ic c o m p o n e n ts b y re c tific a tio n . W . H . ^Ke e s o m and H . v a n Di j k (Proc. K . Akad. W etensch. Am sterdam , 1931; 34, 42—50).—A ttem pts have been m ade to separate th e isotopio com ponents of neon by re cti

fication a t —24S-40, ju st above th e triple point.

Light and heavier fractions were obtained of densities 0-00039830 a n d 0-00090211, c o r r e s p o n d i n g w i t h a t . w t s . o f 20-14 ^{a n d}20-23, r e s p e c t i v e l y . T h e f a c t t h a t t h e l i g h t e r i s o t o p e i s m o r e v o l a t i l e t h a n t h e h e a v i e r i n d i c a t e s t o a l a r g e d e g r e e o f p r o b a b i l i t y t h a t t h e s o l i d s t a t e p o s s e s s e s z e r o p o i n t e n e r g y . J . W . Sm i t h.

C o n s titu tio n of r h e n iu m . F . W . As t o n (N ature, 1931, 127, 591).—R henium consists of tw o isotopes 185 an d 187, w ith estim ated relative abundance 1-62 : 1, and packing fraction —1 ± 2 , giving an at- wt. 186-22X0-07, in good agreem ent w ith Honig- schm id’s value of 1S6-31. The strongest isotope is isobaric w ith th e w eakest of osmium.

L. S.. ^Th e o b a l d.

A t. w t. of k r y p to n . H. E . W a t s o n (Nature, 1931, 127, 631).—Comparison of th e densities of k rypto n an d oxygen gives a provisional value of 83-62 for th e a t. w t., a result which supports A ston’s value of 83-77 instead of th e accepted 82-9.

Is o to p e s . G . Fo u r n i e r (Compt. rend., 1931,192, 940—941; cf. A., 1929, 363; 1930, 269).—S everal of

th e predicted isotopes, C13, N 15, O 17, Cr50, Ge73, Mo98, and Mo100, have been discovered, and a fu rth e r list of probable, b u t h ith erto undiscovered, isotopes is given.

The existence of N 10 (cf. N aude, A., 1930, 1232) is doubtful in this classification. C. A. ^Si l b e r r a d.

( 3 - T r a n s f o r m a t i o n . B. M. Se n (N ature, 1931, 127, 523).—The probability of a ¡3-ray escaping from the nucleus is discussed. L. S. T h e o b a l d .

A c tiv a tio n of m a t t e r b y r e s is ta n c e ce lls.

G. Re b o u l (Compt. rend., 1931, 192, 926—928; cf.

A., 1930, 976).—The activ ation previously described is traced to articles of furniture, on which radio

active d u st h ad been deposited accidentally in th e course of other experim ents. Experim ents repeated after removal of these articles are described.

C. A. ^Si l b e r r a d.

U p p e r l i m i t of e n e rg y in th e s p e c tr u m of ra d iu m -!? . F . R . Te r r o u x (Proc. R oy. Soc., 1931, A, 131, 90—99).—The cloud expansion m ethod has been used to determ ine th e general form of th e upper region of th e radium -/? spectrum an d th e upper lim it of velocity. No trac e of an end-point is found a t 5000 H o (cf. Madgwick, A., 1927, 1120) and there is evidence of particles em itted w ith an energy of the order of 3,000,000 electron volts ( Ho 12,000). The num ber of particles observed decreases very gradually w ith increasing H o . I t is estim ated th a t ab o u t 4%

of th e to ta l num ber of particles em itted are above SOOOHpj an d abo ut 1-5% above 7000//p, an d th a t th e average energy p er disintegration is 473,000 volts (probable error 20% ). The general shape of the distribution curve indicates th a t th e ¡3-particles are em itted from th e nuclei according to a Maxwellian law.

L. L. Bircumshaav. V alve m e th o d s of re c o r d in g s in g le a - p a r tic le s in th e p re s e n c e of p o w e rfu l io n is in g r a d ia tio n s . C. E. W y n n- Wi l l i a m s an d F. A. B. Wa r d (Proc.

Roy. Soc., 1931, A, 131, 391—409; cf. W ard, W ynn- Wiiliams, and Cave, A., 1930, 7).—The Greinacher m ethod cannot be em ployed in experim ents involving th e counting of com paratively few a- or //-particles in th e presence of disturbances caused by powerful (3- or y-radiation, or b y large groups of a-particles which it is n o t desired to count. These difficulties m ay be avoided by th e use of an ap p aratu s which is described in detail, by m eans of which problem s con

nected w ith long- and short-range a-particles em itted b y various radioactive bodies and artificial dis

integration phenom ena m ay be investigated.

Io n is e d g a s e s a n d C o u lo m b 's la w . T. V.

Io n e s c u (Compt. rend., 1931, 192, 92S—930).—R e

garding th e relative displacem ent of positive ions an d electrons caused in a gas by an electric field as p ro ducing an elastic force, an d applying Poisson’s equation, the period of vibratio n of th e electron is

deduced. C. A. Si l b e r r a d.

O r i g i n o f c o s m i c r a d i a t i o n . ( S m ) J . H . Je a n s

(N ature, 1931, 127, 594).—Agreem ent of th e absorp

tions calculated for th e annihilation of 1 and 4 protons and th eir accom panying electrons w ith Regener’s observed values suggests th a t th e m ost penetrating constituent of cosmic radiatio n originates in th e annihilation of an a-particle and its two neutralising

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G EN ER A L, PH Y SIC A L , A N D IN OR G A N IC CHEM ISTRY. 667

electrons and th e next, softer constituent in the annihilation of one p roton an d an electron. These two constituents alone appear to form th e fu n d a

m ental ra d iatio n ; other constituents are softer or degraded forms. L. S. Th e o b a l d.

V a lu e s of e, h, e jm , a n d M r /m . W. N. Bo n d

N ature, 1931, 127, 557).—R e-calculated values are e X1010. 4-779„±0-0011 ; h x l O ” , e ^ S e iO -O O S i;

(e/m )xlO -7, l-7690±0-0004c ; M rjfa, 1846-57± 0 - 4 g;

and 7ic/2ve2—137R17± 0 ;0 5 9. L. S. Th e o b a l d. I n te r p r e t a t i o n of th e d e n s ity m a t r i x in th e m a n y -e le c tro n p r o b le m . P . A. M. Dir a c (Proc.

Camb. P hil. Soc., 1931, 27, 240—243).

A b s o rp tio n of l i g h t b y s y n th e tic b lu e s p in e ls.

K . Sc h l o s s m a c h e r (Z. K rist., 1930, 74, 41—48;

Chem. Zentr., 1930, ii, 1039— 1040).—M easurements of th e tran sm ittin g powers of synthetic blue spinels show th a t th e colouring m a tte r is different from th a t of the n atu ra l products (of. A., 1930, 1267).

L. S. Th e o b a l d.-

“ L i n e ” a b s o r p tio n of c r y s ta llin e c h r o m e a lu m s . H . Sa u e r (Ami. Physik, 1931, [v], 9, 92).—

A correction to a previous paper (A., 1928, 1305).

A. J . Me e. V ib ra tio n s p e c tr a of s o m e s im p le c a r b o n c o m p o u n d s c o n ta in in g th e c a rb o n - c h lo r in e lin k in g . I. R a m a n s p e c tr a . W. We st and (Miss) M. Fa r n sw o r t h (Trans. F a ra d a y Soc., 1931, 2 7 , 145—160).—The R am an spectra of a num ber of satu ra te d an d u n satu rated m onochlorm ated straight- chain hydrocarbons in th e liquid sta te have been examined. In all cases one or m ore strong lines, corresponding w ith molecular frequencies of 600—

700 cm .-1, and a less intense line a t 300—400 cm.-1, have been o b served; th e y are ascribed to th e C-Cl linking, as th ey do n o t appear in th e R am an spectra of the corresponding alcohols. The corresponding characteristic frequencies of related compounds are polarised to abo u t th e same extent, and several examples have been found of depolarisation ratios greater th a n u n ity ; for th e intense line a t 1450 cm.-1 it is frequently very high, attaining a value of about 2 in th e case of isopropyl chloride. A high-frequency value for a given linking, if it can be interpreted as representing a high value of th e force co nstant for th e vibration, appears to be associated w ith a lack of chemical reactivity, a t least in reactions which involve principally th e ru p tu re of th e linking.

S-Chloropropylene m ay be readily prepared by rapidly boiling ¡J-dichloropropane w ith an amyl- alcoholic solution of metallic potassium a t atm ospheric

pressure. H . F . Gi l l b e.

A b s o rp tio n s p e c tr a of s a t u r a t e d c h lo rid e s of m u ltiv a le n t e le m e n ts . A. K . Du t t a and M. N.

Sa h a (N ature, 1931, 127, 625—626).—As is th e case with sodium chloride, th e tetrachlorides of carbon, silicon, titanium , a n d tin show continuous absorption beginning a t a long w ave-length lim it and extending towards th e rdtra-violet. The relation A7i\i=Q/4 holds, where Q is th e h ea t of form ation of the chloride and v is th e frequency a t which absorption begins.

L. S. Th e o b a l d. S o m e p r o p e r t ie s of c u p r o u s o x id e. ^{B . G}u d d e n

and G. M onch (Naturwiss., 1931, 19, 361).—W ith

freshly prepared cuprous oxide a t 20°, irrespective of its conductivity, th e optical absorption centre is a t 6 3 9 ^ 2 mu.. Linear an d com pletely reversible dis

placem ent of 0-17 mu p er degree tow ards longer w ave

lengths results from raising th e tem perature. I t is concluded th a t th e absorption of cuprous oxide in th e visible has no connexion w ith its electrical con

du ctivity (cf. Auwers, this vol., 409).

W. R . ^An g u s.

U ltr a - v io le t a b s o r p tio n s p e c tr u m of v a r io u s k in d s of q u a r tz . G. 0 . W i l d (Zentr. Min. Geol., 1930, A, 428-—431; Chem. Zentr., 1931, i, 745).—

Various lands of q u artz h ave been arranged in order of transparency to ultra-violet rays. The colour of sm oky topaz m ay be due to th e separation of silicon.

The only other possible pigm ents are sodium or lithium compounds. A . A . El d r i d g e.

I n f r a - r e d a b s o r p tio n b a n d s in h y d ro g e n s u l

p h id e . H . H . ^Ni e l s e n and E. F . ^Ba r k e r (Physical Rev., 1931, [ii], 37, 727—732).—Using a prism grating spectrom eter for an investigation of th e region 1— 10 p, bands shoving fine stru ctu re were fo u n d .at 2-6 and 3-7 p ; ivave-num bers and intensities of th e lines in th e bands are tab u lated . Bands previously repo rted (cf. Rollefsen, A., 1929, 1215) were found to be due to im purities. T he 2-6 p band consisted of P , R , and Q b randies, th e la tte r broaden

ing unsy m m etrically; th e 3-7 p han d consisted of only one branch. A qualitative interp retatio n of th e structure, based on th e classical q u antum mechanics of an asym m etric ro ta to r (cf . W itm er, A., 1926,1192)

is given. N. M. ^Bl i g h.

A b s o rp tio n b a n d s of g a s e o u s h y d ro g e n c y a n id e in th e n e a r in f r a - r e d . R . M, BADGEKand J . L. Bi n d e r

(Physical R ev., 1931, [ii], 37, 800—807).—The absorp

tion spectrum was photographed in th e region A 7000—

9200; weak bands were found a t A 7912 an d X 8563, th e form er ap paren tly a harm onic of a fundam ental hand a t 3-04 p. T he bands h av e P an d R , b u t no Q branches; w ave-lengths an d frequencies of th e lines of each b and are tab u lated . T he norm al molecule is linear. H ydrogen cyanide is discussed in regard to its fundam ental oscillations of frequencies 3290, 2090, and 710 cm.“1, an d to its .dissociation energy and products. Evidence indicates a norm al molecule HCN, b u ilt u p of a norm al hydrogen atom an d a norm al CN radical. Gaseous cyanogen showed no

absorption bands. N. M. ^Bl i g h.

A r r a n g e m e n t f o r s tu d y in g t h e R a m a n effect.

H . Hu l u b e i an d ( Ml l e.) Y. Ca d c h o i s (Compt. rend., 1931, 192, 935— 937).—A m ercury-vapour lam p is placed a t th e focus of a parabolic reflector directed upw ards tow ards an o th er reflector in th e shape of a tru n ca ted cone (apex upw ards) w ith sides inclined a t 45°. This reflects th e light perpendicularly on to a tu be, blackened a t th e bo tto m and upper p a r t of th e sides, containing th e substance under exam ination, and placed vertically in th e axis of the. cone. The diffused ligh t is viewed by m eans of a m irror inclined a t 45° placed vertically above th e tube.

C. ^{A . S}i l b e r r a d.

R a m a n e ffec t a n d c h e m ic a l li n k i n g s in c e r t a i n o rg a n ic liq u id s . L. E. Ho w l e t t (Canad.

J . R es., 1931, 4, 79— 91).—The general theory of th e

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66S B R IT ISH CHEMICAL A BSTR A C TS.— A .

R am an effect is briefly reviewed. An expression is derived for th e fundam ental frequencies of three masses connected b y elastic forces in a straig h t line.

W ith th e aid of th e expression an a tte m p t is m ade to associate certain frequencies w ith definite linkings and structures from the results of an experim ental stu d y of th e R am an effect in ethylene glycol an d five d eriv

atives, four nitriles, and benzyl alcohol. The values of the stretching forces of single, double, and triple linkings are deduced w ith the aid of th e assum ptions th a t th e frequency 300 mm .-1 arises from longitudinal vibrations of th e O H linking and th a t double and trip le linkings have stretching forces twice an d th ree tim es respectively th a t of a single linking. W. ^Go o d.

R a m a n effec t in h y d r o x y l io n s. L. A. ^Wo o d

w a r d (Physikal. Z., 1931,32,261—262).—The R am an

effect in concentrated solutions of sodium and po tass

ium hydroxide has been investigated. I n both cases th e same frequency, Av=3615H;25 cm .'1, was found and is a ttrib u te d to the hydroxyl ion.

W . Go o d.

R a m a n effect a n d a s s o c ia tio n . E. H . L. Me y e r

(Physikal. Z., 1931, 32, 293—295).—A lthough R am an spectra have been m ade of m any liquid m ixtures, no case of association has been reported an d only d is

placem ents due to th e individual liquids are exhibited.

The influence of m olar concentration on m olecular polarisation of m ixtures is discussed. In a m ix ture of carbon tetrachloride an d eth y l alcohol m olecular polarisation of th e eth y l alcohol is a m axim um a t a concentration of 35% . M anifestation of association in th e R am an effect would be expected in a sim ilar way. I t has been found in m ixtures of eth yl and m ethyl alcohol w ith carbon tetrachloride th a t no new lines are present. Solutions of copper sulphate in w ater give no indication of h y d rate form ation. Solutions of copper sulphate in am m onia show a new band due to Cu(NH3)4S 0 4. R am an displacem ents are given for definite chemical linkings only; linkings betw een associated molecules are tran sito ry and association displacem ents are n o t to be expected. E xperim ents on m ixtures of different concentrations of th e tw o dipolar substances, m ethyl alcohol and w ater, showed th a t variation in th e concentration influenced th e intensity and altered the displacem ent due to m ethyl alcohol by about 5

A.

tow ards shorter wave-lengths.

W. R . ^Au d i t s.

R a m a n effect in c a lc ite a n d a r a g o n ite . S.

Bh a g a v a n t a m (Z. K rist., 1931, 77, 43— 48).—'The following R am an frequencies have been determ ined : calcite 158-7, 241-7, 283-8, 717-3, 1087-4, 1439-6;

aragonite 94, 15S-4, 209-0, 271-3, 70S-1, 1087-0 c m .'1 Frequencies less th a n 708 are a ttrib u te d to lattice oscillations, those above to atom ic. 1087-0 is th e inactiv e frequency of th e carbonate ion.

P o la r is a t i o n of th e R a m a n s p e c tr u m of w a te r . C. Ra m a s w a m y (N ature, 1931, 127, 558).—The three R am an bands excited b y th e same incident lines are differently p o la ris e d : the degree of polarisation ap p aren tly increases w ith an increase in intensity of th e b au d . L. S. Th e o b a l d.

R a m a n s p e c tr a of c r y s ta ls . F . ^R a s e t t i (Nature, 1931, 127, 626—627).-—F lu orite gives a R am an shift

of 321-5— 1 cm.-1, corresponding w ith an infra-red w ave-length of 31-1 ¡r, and a group of lines w ith a large frequency shift (7255-8—7297-6 cm.-1). Calcite gives a sim ilar group, frequency sh ift 7270-3—7455-5 cm.-1, and in each case the new lines are com paratively weak in intensity. Sim ilar lines in ice, qu artz, rock salt, gypsum , an hydrite, aragonite, an d b arite could n o t be found. The R am an spectrum of rock-salt is weak an d consists of a continuous b an d from 165 to 365 cm.-1, w ith a fairly sharp line a t 235 cm.-1, which does n o t coincide w ith th e infra-red reflexion m ax i

m um a t 52-5 ¡j.. L. S. Th e o b a l d.

A n o m a ly in th e p o la r is a tio n of R a m a n r a d i a tio n . W. Hanle (Naturwiss., 1931, 19, 375).—

Some R am an lines of several com pounds are found to be circularly polarised in th e reverse direction to th e circularly polarised exciting light.

W . R . ^An g u s.

R o ta tio n a l R a m a n s p e c tr u m of c a r b o n d io x id e . W , V. Ho u s t o n and C. M. Le w i s (Proc. N at. Acad.

Sci., 1931, 17, 229—231).—T he ro ta tio n b an d excited by th e lines 2536 an d 2534

A .

is composed of equi

d ista n t lines showing only one m om ent of in ertia : 7-02 x lO -39 g. cm .2 ' C. W . G ibby.

S tr u c t u r e of R a m a n b a n d s in liq u id s . A.

Ka s t l e r (Compt. rend., 1931, 1 92 , 1032— 1034).—

D oublets an d trip lets in R am an spectra of liquids, near v=3400 in w ater (cf. Gerlach, A., 1930, 1091) or v= 3210—3300—33S0 cm.-1 in liquid am m onia (cf.

A., 1930, 14) correspond w ith lines of th e correspond

ing gas in the infra-red. I t is suggested th a t quan

tised rotations occur in liquids, and th a t certain R am an doublets and triplets are of th e typ es P R and PQR. The changes in th e R am an spectra of w ater caused by salts (cf. Gerlach, loc. cit.) would th e n be due to th e hindrance caused to th is ro tatio n b y th e attac h m e n t of molecules of w ater to th e ions.

D e p e n d e n c e of R a m a n s c a tt e r i n g o n fre q u e n c y . J . ^Re k v e l d (Z. Physik, 1931, ^{6 8 ,} 543—549).—I n ten sity m easurem ents w ith m ethyl alcohol show th a t R am an radiatio n increases m ore rapidly th a n th e fou rth power of th e frequency as an electronic absorp

tion b and is approached. Simple resonance theory gives an expression for R am an scattering, an d from this th e frequency of th e electronic absorption band can be ca lc u lated ; th e calculated value for m ethyl alcohol was 2280

A.,

and com pares favourably w ith H en ri’s value 2200

A.

H enri ascribes th is to th e C-H linking, an d th e R am an line was also due to this lin k in g ; th e m ethod should thei'efore prove useful in ascribing electronic frequencies to p articu lar linkings.

A . B. D. Ca s s i e.

In flu e n c e of t e m p e r a t u r e o n th e R a m a n s p e c tr u m of q u a r tz . (Miss) M. J . Ne y (Z. Physik, 1931, 68, 554—558).—P hotom etric curves were o b tain ed of fight scattered by q uartz crystals a t 18° and 500°. A t 500° R am an fines became diffuse, and were displaced tow ards th e exciting fin e ; changes in in te n sity depended on individual fines, an d anti-Stokes fines became relatively more intense. A. B. D. Ca s s i e.

R e so n a n c e flu o re s c e n c e . V. We i s s k o p e (Ann.

Physik, 1931, [v], 9, 23—66).—Theoretical.

A. J . ^Me e.

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G E N E R A L , PH Y SIC A L , A N D INORGANIC CHEM ISTRY. 669

D ip o le m o m e n t a n d K e r r effect. E. H. L.

Me y e r and 6 . ^Ot t e r b e i n (Physikal. Z., 1931, 32, 290—293).—The K e rr effect in dipolar m edia is dis

cussed. M easurem ents m ade w ith chlorobenzenes indicate th a t th e K e rr constants decrease in th e order o-dichlorobenzene, chlorobenzene, to-, p-dichlorobenzene. T his is th e order deduced theoretically.

J . W . Sm i t h.

D ip o le m o m e n ts of b e n z y l a n d b e n z y lid e n e c h lo rid e a n d b e n z o tr ic h lo rid e . A. Pa r t s (Z.

physikal. Chem., 1931. B , 12, 323—326).—The dipole m om ents of these substances in benzene solution a t 20° are, respectively, 1-85,2-05, and 2-15 X 10"1S. Com

parison w ith th e corresponding derivatives of m ethane indicates th a t displacem ent of a hydrogen atom by the phenyl group hinders th e spreading of th e valency linkings of th e central carbon atom . F . L. Us h e r.

D ip o le m o m e n t s of p r i m a r y , s e c o n d a ry , a n d t e r t i a r y a lip h a tic h a lo g e n d e r iv a tiv e s . A. ^Pa r t s

(Z. physikal. Chem., 1931, B , 12, 312—322 ; cf. A., 1930, 667).—T he dipole m om ents of halogen d eriv

atives of propane and of pentane have been m easured a t 20° in benzene solution. A table of values is given.

As in th e butan e derivatives, th e te rtia ry com pounds possess th e highest, and th e prim ary th e lowest, dipole

m om ents. F . L. Us h e r.

E le c tr ic m o m e n t a n d m o le c u la r s t r u c t u r e . I I I . D o u b le a n d t r i p l e lin k in g s a n d p o l a r i ty in a r o m a t ic h y d r o c a r b o n s . C. P . Sm y t h an d R . W.

Do r n t e (J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 1931,53, 1296— 1301;

cf. A., 1929, 1128).—T he dielectric constants and densities of benzene or heptane solutions of th e h y d ro carbons a t tem p eratures betw een 10° and 70°, and th e m olar refractions have been determ ined. The following electric m om ents have been evaluated : CPhgMe, 0-4 x K H 8 e .s .u .: CHPh:CH2, C H PlnC H Ph, and CPh2:CPh.„ 0-0; CPh2:CH2, 0-5“; CPli2:CHPh.

0-6; CPhiCH, 0 83; an d CPh-CPh, 1-12. There is thus no evidence of p olarity inherent in th e ethylene linking itself. T he large m om ents of th e su b stitu ted acetylenes and th e variations w ith tem p eratu re are a ttrib u te d to th e existence of tautom eric equilibria involving unsym m etrical forms containing bivalent carbon, as suggested by Kef. J . G. A. ^Gr i f f i t h s.

D ie le c tric c o n s ta n t of h y d r o g e n c h lo rid e f r o m 85° to 165° A b s. R . M. Co n e, G. H . De n i s o n,

and J . D. ^Ke m p (J. Amer. Chem. ‘Soc., 1931, 53, 1278— 1282).— Dielectric constants, D, and polaris- abilities are tab u lated . A t th e tran sitio n tem per

ature, 98-4° Abs. (Giauque and W iebe, A., 1928, 228), D changes isotherm ally from 3 to 10. This behaviour accords w ith P auling’s theory of th e ro ta tio n of molecules in crystals (A., 1930, 1357).

J . G- A. ^Gr i f f i t h s.

D ie le c tric p r o p e r t ie s of a n tim o n y p e n ta c h lo rid e an d p h o s p h o r u s p e n ta c h lo rid e . J . H . ^Si m o n s

and G- Je s s o p (J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 1931, 53, 1263—

1266).—The dielectric constant and d ensity of m olten antimony pentachloride and its carbon tetrachloride solutions have been determ ined between 2-5° an d 47°.

Similar d a ta for carbon tetrachloride solutions of phos

phorus pentachloride are recorded. T he dielectric constant an d conductivity of m olten phosphorus pentachloride are less th a n those of th e crystals. I t

is concluded th a t th e chlorides have very small or zero dipole m om ents and therefore have a sym m etrical stru ctu re w ith a shell of 10 electrons round th e central atom . J . G. A. Gr i f f i t h s.

R e f r a c to m e tr ic in v e s tig a tio n s . XV. M e a s u r e m e n t of r e f r a c tio n of is o tr o p ic a n d a n is o tr o p i c c r y s ta ls w ith th e c r y s ta l- in te r f e r e n c e r e f r a c to m e te r . P. Wu l f f (Z. K rist., 1931, 77, 61—83).—A detailed account of th e ap p a ratu s an d m ethod of using it. C. A. S i l b e r r a d .

R e f r a c to m e tr ic in v e s tig a tio n s . X V I. R e f r a c t o m e t r i c m e a s u r e m e n t s of c r y s ta ls . P.

Wu l f f and A. He i g l (Z. K rist,, 1931, 77, 84— 121 ; cf. F ajans and J'oos, A., 1924, ii, 372 ; H aase, A., 1928, 694).—To exam ine th e relations between th e m ole

cular refraction as deduced from th e refractive indices an d th a t deduced additively from th e values obtained for th e gaseous ions(cf. F ajans, A., 192S, 1320 ; Geffcken K ohner, A., 1929, 258; Geffcken, ibid., 1233) the following determ inations have been m ade a t 25°.

F o r anisotropic crystals, n = ^ / n tn j ; or -fynanßn y) : potassium fluoride, d 2-505, n 1-3629, I ih 5-16;

potassium chloride, d 1-969, md 1-4897 (at 18° 1-4904), R L 10-83 ; rubidium chloride, d 2-803, riD 1-4937, R h 12-55 ; cæsium chloride, d 3-988, n D 1-6397,i?L 15-20 ; stro n tiu m fluoride, d 4-286, n D 1-442, R h 7-76 ; barium fluoride, d 4-893, n D 1-474, i?L 10-08 ; calcium chloride, d 2-15, n D (max.) 1-542, (ruin.) 1-531, R L 16-1 ; stro n t

ium chloride, d 3-085. n D 1-6499. R L 18-74 ; SrCI2,2H,,0, d 2-671, na 1-5942, nß 1-5948, n v 1-6172, 24-99;

SrCl2,6H20 , d 1-9663, n m 1-5356, ne 1-4856, R L 41-14;

barium chloride, d 3-917, na 1-730. nß 1-736, nv 1-742, R l 21-36; BaCl2,2H 20 , d 3-096, na 1-629, nß 1-642, My 1-658, R l 28-54; sodium perchlorate, d 2-499, n a 1-4606, nß 1-4617, n y 1-4731, R L 13-58; p otass

ium perchlorate, d 2-530, n a 1-4717, nß 1-4724, My 1-4700, Rh 15-37 ; am m onium perchlorate, d 1-952, n a 1-4824, nß 1-4828, ny 1-4868, Jij. 17-22; barium perchlorate trih y d ra te , d 2-911, na, 1-5330, n € 1-5323, R h 41-60 ; potassium sulphate, dx 2-665, m“ 1-4933, 7Vp 1-4946, My 1-4973. Jïh 19-07. Comparison of cal

culated an d experim ental results shows t h a t as regards alkali an d alkaline-earth fluorides and chlorides p re vious conclusions are confirmed, b u t th a t th e am m onium ion in th e form of the perchlorate stable a t th e ordinary tem peratu re shows a refractom etric be

haviour m arkedly different from th a t of th e o th er alkali ions, and from itself in its halides, b u t resembles th a t in its sulphate. C. A. Si l b e r r a d.

A n o m a lo u s d is p e r s io n i n b a n d s p e c tr a . E . Se g r é (Nuovo Cim., 1 93 0,7,14 4— 147 ; Chem. Zentr., 1930, ii, 2352).—The anom alous dispersion of th e absorption bands in iodine vapour has been inves

tig ated , an d th e dependence of th e refractive index on th e exciting frequency established.

L . S. Th e o b a l d. In flu e n c e of t e m p e r a t u r e o n th e e le c tric b ire f r in g e n c e of o r g a n ic liq u id s . A. Kü r t e n

(Physikal. Z., 1931, 32, 251—252).—A n experim ental arrangem ent is described w ith which th e K e rr effect in organic liquids and its v ariation w ith tem perature have been q u an titativ ely investigated. R esults for chlorobenzene an d carbon disulphide are given.

• W. Go o d.

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G70 BR ITISH CHEMICAL ABSTR A C TS. A .

In flu e n c e of t e m p e r a t u r e o n m o le c u la r p o l a r i s a tio n . L. M e y e r (Physikal. Z., 1931, 32, 260—261).

—The suggestion of Sanger (of. this vol., 147) th a t th e deviation of th e m olecular polarisation of a ¡3- dichloroethane in hexane solution a t low tem peratures from linear dependency on th e reciprocal of th e te m p eratu re is duo to association effects is shown to be

im probable. W. ^{G o o d .}

M a g n e tic r o t a ti o n of th e p la n e of p o la r is a tio n . E x a m p le of a n o m a lo u s d is p e rs io n . J . V e r - h a e g h e (N atuurw etensch. Tijds., 1931,1 3 , 173— 17S).

—Optical d a ta are given for cinam m aldehyde. The w avo-length-rotation curve has a p o in t of inflexion a t abou t 6300 Á., an d a t higher wave-lengths th e V erdet co nstant dim inishes a t an abnorm al ra te .

H . F . Gi l l b e.

C h a n g e o f s u s c e p tib ility o f p a r a m a g n e ti c s a l t s u n d e r th e in flu e n c e o f lig h t. D . M. Bo s e and P. K . Ba h a (N ature, 1931,127, 520—521).—I n agree

m ent w ith th e views of Bose (A., 1927, S05), dim inu

tions of th e param agnetic susceptibilities of solutions of chromic, ferric, and nickel chlorides and copper sulphate on exposure to light of suitable w ave-length have been q ualitatively observed.

S te r e o c h e m is tr y of c r y s ta l c o m p o u n d s . V.

D e p e n d e n c e of s t r u c t u r e ty p e of c r y s ta llin e c o m p o u n d s of ty p e s A B a n d A B 2 o n la ttic e e n e rg y . P . N ig g li (Z. K rist., 1931, 77, 140— 145).

—Previous results are discussed (cf. Pauling, A., 1927, 399; A., 1929, 122; Unsold, A., 1927, 919; H yl- leraas, A., 1930, 1234) an d th e dependence of th e typo of stru ctu re of such com pounds on th e ionic distances, dA, dR, dAB, and th e co-ordination num bers of A and B is dem onstrated. The conclusions are illustrated by th e series zinc b len d e— >rock s a lt— ->

osesium chloride, and c u p rite — -> ana ta s e — > fluorite.

C. A. Si l b e r r a d.

I s o m o r p h i s m a n d c h e m ic a l h o m o lo g y . P . C.

K a y (N ature, 1931, 127, 631).—Concerning L ange’s claim for p rio rity (cf. th is vol., 182).

Io n ic th e o r y of o r g a n ic re a c tio n s . I. C.

Pr é v o s t and A. Ki r r j i a n n (Bull. Soc. chim ., 1931, [ivl, 49, 194—243).—I t is suggested th a t all th e reac

tions of organic chem istry are ionic. The ac tiv a te d molecule is identified w ith th e ion.

F . J . Wil k in s. N a tu r e of th e c h e m ic a l lin k in g . A p p lic a tio n of r e s u l t s o b ta in e d f r o m q u a n t u m m e c h a n ic s a n d f r o m a t h e o r y of p a r a m a g n e t ic s u s c e p tib ility to s t r u c t u r e of m o le c u le s . L. P a u l i n g (J. Amer.

Chem. Soc., 1931, 53, 1367— 1400; cf. A., 1928, 690).

— B y m eans of th e q u antum mechanics a series of rules is form ulated for th e electron-pair linking.

These afford inform ation of th e relative strength s of linkings form ed by different atom s, th e angles between th e linkings, th e presence or absence of free ro tatio n ab o u t th e axes of th e linkings, th e relation betw een th e q u antum num bers of electrons involved, an d th e num ber an d spatial arrangem ent of th e linkings. The angle between th e hydrogen-oxygen linkings in w ater is 90— 109-50 ; o ther cases are discussed. One d w ith s an d p eigenfunctions afford four strong linkings

in one plane directed tow ards th e corners of a square.

This applies to bivalent nickel, palladium , and p la t

inum . W ith tw o d eigenfunctions, six strong linkings directed tow ards th e corners of a n octahedron are produced. O ther cases are examined.

E x cep t for ra re-e arth ions, th e m agnetic m om ent of a molecule or complex ion is given b y g ^ f f V & ^ + l ) , w here 2S is th e num ber of unpaired electrons. Thus i t is possible to determ ine from m agnetic d a ta which ty p e of linking is involved. This has been in vesti

gated for a large num ber of compounds.

J . G . A . Gr i f e i t h s.

S t r u c t u r e of f e r r i c th io c y a n a te a n d t h e th io - c y a n a te t e s t fo r ir o n . ^{H .} I. ^Sc h l e s i n g e r and

H . B. ^Va n Va l k e n b u r g h (J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 1931, 53, 1212— 1216; cf. Bosenheim an d Cohn, A., 1901, i, 455).—Since th e absorption spectra of aqueous solu

tions of sodium an d am m onium ferrithiocyanates, th e ethereal extracts, anhydrous ethereal ferric th io cyan ate, and th e aqueous solution (the re d colour of which m igrates to th e anode during electrolysis) are alm ost identical, i t is concluded th a t th e colour is due to th e ion Fe(CNS)6" '. Confirming th is, th e mol. w t.

of ferric thiocyanate in benzene an d eth er is found to correspond w ith th e form ula Fe[Fe(CNS)e] a n d i t is concluded th a t th is com pound is ex tracted b y ether from aqueous solutions. The decrease of colour caused b y am m onium chloride is a ttrib u te d to th e form ation of a hexachloroferrie ion.

J . G . A . Gr i f f i t h s.

E n e r g y d i a g r a m of s o d iu m c h lo rid e . P . J.

v a n By s s e l b e r g e (J. Physical Chem., 1931, 35, 1054— 1060).—The stru ctu re of com pounds of the sodium chloride typo is discussed. Curves relating th e in teractio n energy of sodium an d chlorine ions and atom s in th e gaseous sta te an d in solution w ith th e distance betw een th e nuclei of th e tw o constituents are draw n, an d th e resulting energy diagram is dis

cussed. L. S. Th e o b a l d.

P a r a c h o r of t e r v a l e n t io d in e . N . V. ^Si d g w i c k

and E. D. P . ^Ba r k w o r t h (J.C.S., 1931, S07— S09).—

I n order to investigate th e effect of an increase of valency th e p arach or of iodosobenzene propionate was determ ined, using chlorobenzene as s o lv e n t; it showed a parachor defect of 17-3 units.

N . M. Bl i g h.

A’-R a y s tu d ie s of m o tio n s of m o le c u le s in d ie le c tr ic s u n d e r e le c tr ic s t r e s s . B . D . Be n n e t t

(J. F ran k lin In st,, 1931, 211, 481—487).—A paraffin was found by X -ra y analysis to consist chiefly of

C 27H 56. U nd er electric stress i t solidified, th e diffrac

tio n halo being typ ical of a powdered crystal aggregate.

J . Le w k o w i t s c h.

A’-R a y e m is s io n s p e c tr u m a n d c h e m ic a l c o m b in a tio n . E x p e r im e n ts w ith s e c o n d a r y r a y s . A. ^Fa e s s l e r (Naturwiss., 1931, 19, 307—

30S).—The fluorescence spectrum of sulphur, free an d com bined, w as studied. R esults differ considerably from those obtained w hen p rim ary X -ray s alone are used. A d oublet K a is obtained from sulphur in sulphates w ith th e wave-lengths of th e lines slightly sho rter th a n for free sulphur. A. J . ^Me e.

' S c a t t e r in g of u n p o l a r i s e d A '-ray s. G. E . M.

Ja u n c e y- an d G. G. ^Ha r v e y (Physical R ev., 1931,