Connected with this important question is the principle enunciated by
Bravais, as a result of his discovery of the space-lattice, that
cleavage occurs most readily parallel to those net-planes of the
space-lattice which are most densely strewn with points. The force just
referred to, whether we term it cohesion or otherwise, is obviously at a
maximum within such a plane, and at a minimum in the perpendicular
direction where the points are further off from each other. Moreover, it
has been fairly well proved also, from the experiments of Wulff,
described in the last chapter, that the direction or directions of
maximum cohesion are those of slowest growth of the crystal; so that
faces parallel to those directions become relatively more extended owing
to the more rapid growth of other faces on their boundaries, and thus
become the most largely developed and confer the “habit” on the crystal.
All these are facts so important as evidences of a controlling force at
work in crystallisation, that a _purely_ geometrical theory of the
formation of crystals which would make “facility of fitting-in” of the
molecular particles its chief tenet, obviously does not tell us the
complete story. Hence the author desires to utter a warning against
going too far with the pure geometry of the subject. The geometricians
have done a grand work in providing us with the thoroughly well
established 230 types of homogeneous structures, as a full and final
explanation of the 32 classes of crystals, and so far their results are
wholly and unreservedly acceptable.
The phenomena of “liquid crystals” lend themselves admirably to screen
demonstration, for which purpose an excellent improved form of the
crystallisation microscope of Lehmann, shown in Fig. 119, is constructed
by Zeiss, and its actual use in the projection, with the aid of the
well-known Zeiss electric lantern, but specially fitted for the purpose,
is shown in Fig. 120.
A magnification of 600–700 diameters on the screen is very suitable,
employing a Zeiss 8–millimetre objective without eyepiece. This
objective affords directly a magnification of 30 diameters. For ordinary
eye observation an eyepiece magnifying 6–8 times is added, thus
affording to the eye a magnification of about 200 diameters.
[Illustration:
FIG. 120.—Zeiss Apparatus for the Projection of Liquid Crystals.
]
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