We may consider, with Haber, a liter of a 0.05 molar solution of K_{2}Ag(CN)_{3}, containing an excess[466] of 0.95 mole potassium cyanide. In such a solution, the concentration of silver-ion is reduced to 8E−24 gram-ion per liter. Now, according to the best determinations of the ultimate dimensions of molecules, about 10^{24} molecules are estimated to be contained in a mole (gram-molecule), and 10^{24} ions, therefore, in a gram-ion (‹e.g.› in 108 grams of silver-ion there would be 10^{24} individual silver ions). Then a liter of the solution we are considering would contain, at any moment, only eight individual silver ions, which are different ones from moment to moment, since the reversible reactions Ag^{+} + 3 CN^{−} ⇄ Ag(CN)_{3}^{2−}, are going on continually. Thus 100 c.c. of the solution would not contain even one silver ion all the time, but the requirements of the equilibrium conditions could be met[467] by silver ions "flashing up and disappearing" in such a way, that the required average concentration in unit time is maintained. There is nothing irrational in such a conception. One may ask, however, what must be the velocities, with which the complex is formed from the components, and is resolved into them, in order to satisfy an instability constant[466] 10^{−22} and still enable us to obtain a practically instantaneous precipitation, say of silver sulphide, the action being analyzed on the basis of the ordinary conception that only the silver-ion itself, and not the complex ion, is directly active in the formation of the silver sulphide. A condition of equilibrium, in a reversible action, implies that the velocities of the two continuous, opposed reactions are equal (p. 94). For the action Ag^{+} + 3 CN^{−} → Ag(CN)_{3}^{2−} the ‹velocity› of ‹formation› of the ‹complex› is proportional to a characteristic constant, K_{Formation}, to the concentration, [Ag^{+}], of the silver-ion, and to the third power (see p. 94) of the concentration, [CN^{−}], of the cyanide-ion. The ‹velocity› of the ‹opposed reaction› of ‹decomposition› of the complex is proportional to another characteristic constant, K_{Decomposition}, and to the concentration, [Ag(CN)_{3}^{2−}], of the complex ion. For the condition of equilibrium, the velocities of the opposed reactions are equal, and we derive the relation: [Ag^{+}] × [CN^{−}]^3 / [Ag(CN)_{3}^{2−}] = K_{Decomposition} / K_{Formation} = 1 / 10^{22}.