The charges on positive and negative ions in gases

Abstract

In a paper on the Diffusion of Ions in Gases, I described a method of comparing the charges on the ions generated in gases with the charge on an ion in a liquid electrolyte. If N be the number of molecules in a cubic centimetre of a gas at standard pressure and temperature, and e the charge on an ion, then N . e = 3∙10 8 . U / K, where U is the velocity of an ion in a field of unit electric force and K the coefficient of diffusion. Thus from separate determinations of the quantities U and K, the product N . e can be obtained. If E is the charge on a monovalent ion in a liquid electrolyte, N . E = 1∙23 x 10 10 , so that a comparison of the various charges may be made, and the calculations have shown that the charge on a positive or negative ion in a gas is nearly equal to the charge E. There were, however, considerable discrepancies, particularly with positive ions, which gave values of N . e as great as 1∙66 x 10 10 in some cases.