Studies Concerning Affinity

This article presents an English translation of "Studies Concerning Affinity" ( I ) , Guldherg and Waage's first presentation, in 1864, of the law of mass action. The source of this translation is a facsimile of the Norwegian original that appeared in 1964 as part of the proceedings of a symposium (2) commemorating the centennial of the law of mass action. Unfortunately, the figures displaying the experimental data presented in 1864 no longer exist (3) and do not appear in the 1964 facsimile. This lecture to the Academy of Sciences in Christiania (Oslo) was followed by twoothers in 1864, "Experiments for Determining the Affinity Law" (4) and "Concerning the Laws of Chemical Affinity" (5). In order to expand their potential audience, Guldberg and Waage puhlished a pamphlet in French, "Studies in Chemical Affinity" (6) , in 1867. A German paper, "Concerning Chemical Affinity" (7), in 1879 concluded their publications on chemical equilibrium. Although, except for the last publication, these writings are not readily available in American libraries, Ahegg's German translations in "Ostwald's Klassiker der Exakten Wissenschaft" (8) offer some access to most of them. These include excerpts from the lecture translated in this article and the third 1864 lecture as well as the entire French pamphlet of 1867. Abegg also provides a reprint, with commentary, of the 1879 journal article. An English translation of a portion of the introduction to this article appears in "A Source Book in Chemistry, 1400-1900" (9). The following translation tries to stay as close as possible to the st& of the orieinal. Canseauentlv. it oresen& substances bv ~ ~~ 4~~ . ~ .. . Rneliah names in m e in 18fi4. Brackets containing the modern .-.... ~~~~-~~~ -.. -~~~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~~~