CHEMISTRY.
P. 13.—The abbreviations used in the atomic symbols are taken from the Latin or Greek names, and when these differ from the English there seems to be no correspondence between the name of the element and its atomic symbol; as Au for gold.
Hydrogen is the lightest form of matter known, and the weight of its atom is taken as the unit of the system of weights. In the table the numbers in the column of atomic weights give the weight of one atom of each substance as compared with one atom of hydrogen. For instance, an atom of aluminum is twenty-seven times as heavy as an atom of hydrogen.
A-luˈmi-num; Brōˈmĭne; Caesium (kēˈsi-um); Cerium (seˈri-um); Chlorine (klōˈrĭne); Chrōˈmi-um; Di-dynˈi-um; Erˈbi-um; Fluˈor-ĭne; Gălˈlĭ-um; Hyˈdro-gen; Glu-cinum (glu-sīˈnum); I-ridˈĭ-um; Iˈo-dĭne; Lanˈtha-num; Lithˈĭ-um; Manganese (mangˈa-nezeˌ); Mŏl-yb-dēˈnum; Nī-oˈbi-um; Nīˈtrō-gen; Osˈmi-um; Pal-lāˈdĭ-um; Phosˈphŏ-rus; Platˈĭ-num, or Pla-tīˈnum; Po-tasˈsĭ-um; Rhōˈdĭ-um; Ru-bidˈi-um; Ru-thēˈnĭ-um; Scanˈdĭ-um; Se-lēˈnĭ-um; Strontium (stronˈshĭ-um); Tanˈta-lum; Tel-luˈri-um; Thalˈli-um; Thoˈri-um; Tī-taˈni-um; Tungˈsten; U-rāˈni-um; Va-nāˈdi-um; Yt-terˈbi-um; Zir-cōˈni-um.
P. 19.—“Guyten de Morveau,” gwēˈton dĕh morˈvō. (1737-1816.) A French chemist. He suggested a new nomenclature which was adopted by Lavoisier, and wrote a “Dictionary of Chemistry.”
P. 33.—The symbols are to be read by calling the letters and the small numbers one after the other, in the order in which they occur. If a compound contains an element which requires two letters to express it, the latter one, always a small letter, as on page 35, AgNO₃, it is to be read in the same way, with a shorter pause between the A and g than between the other letters, as A-g—N—O-₃. Ag and O₃ might be compared to words of two syllables. The number always belongs to the letter which it follows.
P. 60. “Sir Humphrey Davy.” See C. L. S. C. Notes, page 59 of vol. v of The Chautauquan.
“Biot,” Jean Baptiste (bēˈōˌ). (1774-1862.) A French savant. His fame rests upon his mathematical, physical, and astronomical writings. Biot’s description of Cavendish, translated from the French: “The richest of all learned men, and probably, also, the most learned of all rich men.”
P. 63.—“La Trappe.” A Benedictine convent in France, famous for the austerity of its monks, founded in the twelfth century.
“Van Helmont.” (1577-1644.) A Flemish physician, chemist, and philosopher. He attempted a reform in medicine, but his system was so mingled with mysticism that it is not of much practical value. He succeeded, however, in introducing much exactness into science.