VI.

III and IIIa.—The Cube Groups.

We have here four groups to consider, all the members of which are triads, and have six funnels, opening on the six faces of a cube.

III.—Boron, scandium and yttrium were examined; they are all triatomic, paramagnetic, and positive. The corresponding group consists of nitrogen, vanadium and niobium; they are triatomic, paramagnetic, and negative. We have not examined the remaining members of these groups. In these two groups nitrogen dominates, and in order to make the comparison easy the nitrogen elements are figured on both Plate XI and Plate XII. It will be seen that scandium and yttrium, of the positive group, differ only in details from vanadium and niobium, of the negative group; the ground-plan on which they are built is the same. We noted a similar close resemblance between the positive strontium and the negative molybdenum.

BORON: 6 funnels of 30 atoms 180 Central globe 20 ---- Total 200 ---- Atomic weight 10.86 Number weight 200/18 11.11

In A the boron funnel is reproduced, the "cigar" having risen above its companion ovoids; but the most important matter to note in respect to this funnel is our introduction to the body marked a 110. This body was observed by us first in nitrogen, in 1895, and we gave it the name of the "nitrogen balloon," for in nitrogen it takes the balloon form, which it also often assumes in other gaseous elements. Here it appears as a sphere—the form always assumed on the proto level—and it will be seen, on reference to the detailed diagram 4 a, to be a complicated body, consisting of six fourteen-atomed globes arranged round a long ovoid containing spheres with three, four, six, six, four, three, atoms respectively. It will be observed that this balloon appears in every member of these two groups, except boron.

The B funnel runs largely to triads, c and b, b (see 4 b) having not only a triadic arrangement of spheres within its contained globes, but each sphere has also a triplet of atoms. In c (see 4 c) there is a triadic arrangement of spheres, but each contains duads. B is completed by a five-atomed sphere at the top of the funnel. It should be noted that a, b and c all are constituents of nitrogen.

The central globe repeats that of boron, with an additional four-atomed sphere in the middle.

SCANDIUM: 3 funnels (A) of 140 atoms 420 3 " (B) of 116 " 348 Centre globe 24 ---- Total 792 ---- Atomic weight 43.78 Number weight 792/18 44.00

The "nitrogen balloon" occupies the third place in the funnel, now showing its usual shape in combination, while the b globe (see 4 b) of scandium takes on a lengthened form below it.

The central globe presents us with two tetrahedra, recalling one of the combinations in gold (see Plate VII d), and differing from that only by the substitution of two quartets for the two triplets in gold.

One funnel of yttrium contains exactly the same number of atoms as is contained in a gaseous atom of nitrogen. Further, a, b, and d are all nitrogen elements. We put on record these facts, without trying to draw any conclusions from them. Some day, we—or others—may find out their significance, and trace through them obscure relations.

YTTRIUM: 6 funnels of 261 atoms 1566 Central globe 40 ---- Total 1606 ---- Atomic weight 88.34 Number weight 1606/18 89.22

The corresponding negative group, of nitrogen, vanadium and niobium, is rendered particularly interesting by the fact that it is headed by nitrogen, which—like the air, of which it forms so large a part—pervades so many of the bodies we are studying. What is there in nitrogen which renders it so inert as to conveniently dilute the fiery oxygen and make it breathable, while it is so extraordinarily active in some of its compounds that it enters into the most powerful explosives? Some chemist of the future, perhaps, will find the secret in the arrangement of its constituent parts, which we are able only to describe.

NITROGEN: Balloon 110 Oval 63 2 bodies of 20 atoms 40 2 " " 24 " 48 ---- Total 261 ---- Atomic weight 14.01 Number weight 261/18 14.50

VANADIUM: 3 funnels (A) of 160 atoms 480 3 " (B) " 137 " 411 Central globe 27 ---- Total 918 ---- Atomic weight 50.84 Number weight 918/18 51.00

The rest of the funnel is the same. In the central globe both the tetrahedra have "cigars," and a central nine-atomed globe spins round in the centre (see 4 f), seventeen atoms being thus added.

NIOBIUM: 6 funnels of 277 atoms 1662 Central globe 57 ---- Total 1719 ---- Atomic weight 93.25 Number weight 1719/18 95.50

III a.—Aluminium, gallium and indium were examined from this group. They are triatomic, diamagnetic, and positive. The corresponding group contains phosphorus, arsenic and antimony: bismuth also belongs to it, but was not examined; they are triatomic, diamagnetic and negative. They have no central globes.

ALUMINIUM: 6 funnels of 81 atoms 486 Atomic weight 26.91 Number weight 486/18 27.00

GALLIUM: Left segment 112 atoms } Right segment 98 " } = 210 6 funnels of 210 atoms 1260 ---- Atomic weight 69.50 Number weight 1260/18 70.00

INDIUM: Segment A 121 atoms Segment B 107 " 3 funnels of 2 A and 1 B ([242 + 107] 3) 1047 3 " " 2 B and 1 A ([214 + 121] 3) 1005 ---- Total 2052 ---- Atomic weight 114.05 Number weight 2052/18 114.00

The corresponding negative group, phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony, run on very similar lines to those we have just examined.

PHOSPHORUS: Left segment 50 atoms Right segment 43 " -- 93 6 funnels of 93 atoms 558 Atomic weight 30.77 Number weight 558/18 31.00

ARSENIC: 6 funnels of 225 atoms 1350 Atomic weight 74.45 Number weight 1350/18 75.00

ANTIMONY: Segment A 128 atoms Segment B 113 atoms 3 funnels of 2 A and 1 B ([256 + 113]3) 1107 3 " " 2 B and 1 A ([226 + 128]3) 1056 ---- Total 2163 ---- Atomic weight 119.34 Number weight 120.16