On account of the great frequency with which the prior formation of the less stable form occurs, Ostwald[144] has put forward the _law of successive reactions_, which states that when a system passes from a less stable condition it does not pass directly into the most stable of the possible states; but into the next more stable, and so step by step into the most stable. This law explains the formation of the metastable forms of monotropic substances, which would otherwise not be obtainable. Although it is not always possible to observe the formation of the least stable form, it should be remembered that that may quite conceivably be due to the great velocity of transformation of the less stable into the more stable form. From what we have learned about the velocity of transformation of metastable phases, we can understand that rapid cooling to a low temperature will tend to preserve the less stable form; and, on account of the influence of temperature in increasing the velocity of change, it can be seen that the formation of the less stable form will be more difficult to observe in superheated than in supercooled systems. The factors, however, which affect the readiness with which {75} the less stable modification is produced, appear to be rather various.[145] Although a number of at least apparent exceptions to Ostwald's law have been found, it may nevertheless be accepted as a very useful generalization which sums up very frequently observed phenomena. * * * * * {76} CHAPTER V SYSTEMS OF TWO COMPONENTS--PHENOMENA OF DISSOCIATION In the preceding pages we have studied the behaviour of systems consisting of only one component, or systems in which all the phases, whether solid, liquid, or vapour, had the same chemical composition (p. 13). In some cases, as, for example, in the case of phosphorus and sulphur, the component was an elementary substance; in other cases, however, _e.g._ water, the component was a compound. The systems which we now proceed to study are characterized by the fact that the different phases have no longer all the same chemical composition, and cannot, therefore, according to definition, be considered as one-component systems.