Molar Per cent Ratio. Concentration. Conductivity. Ionized. 0. 131.2 100 — 0.001 127.6 97.3 0.035 0.01 122.5 93.4 0.130 0.05 115.9 88.4 0.335 0.10 111.9 85.1 0.485 0.20 107.7 82.1 0.754 0.50 102.3 77.9 1.38 1.00 98.2 74.9 2.23 «The Ionization of Strong Electrolytes and the Law of Chemical Equilibrium.»—The fact that the ionization of good electrolytes does not seem to conform to the law of chemical equilibrium is an exceedingly important one—it is, perhaps, the most important problem demanding rigorous investigation, which is before chemists at the present time. It has been used as an argument against the whole theory of ionization, and is the most important objection that has been urged against it. But, to the impartial observer, this single discrepancy, between observation and what we might have anticipated, will only prove a stronger stimulus to keener investigation and to more rigorous analysis of relations, since the latter are more complex than was at first expected. Without considering the mass of evidence in favor of the theory, found in other fields of chemistry and in physics, a part of which has been given above, we must remember that this fundamental law of chemical equilibrium has already decided unequivocally in favor of the theory in hundreds of cases of the ionization of weak acids and weak bases[198] and that these are the cases where the conditions are most simple.[199] [p109] It would lead too far from our subject to enter into a full discussion of this important question. It will be sufficient here to indicate two directions of inquiry, which promise to lead to an explanation of the apparent contradiction between the demands of the law of chemical equilibrium and the ionization of strong electrolytes.