History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c40.s5.6

c40.s5.6

The molecular arrangement in the case of the *bi-bhautic* compounds is very peculiar. Two substances, say Earth and *ap* (water), form a quasi-compound first: and each substance breaks up into atoms, when one atom of Earth comes into contact with one of *ap*. But the two do not form a binary molecule. Instead, this contact of heterogeneous atoms leads to a curious result. The atom of Earth combines with a neighbouring atom of its own class, and forms a binary molecule. Simultaneously the atom of *ap* combines with another *ap*-atom, and forms a binary molecule. Now the first binary molecule links on to the atom of *ap*, and similarly the second binary molecule links on to the atom of Earth. The moment after, the two binary molecules take on the physicochemical character of Earth and *ap* respectively, and simultaneously with the assumption of these physicochemical characters, the binary molecules enter into complex contact. In all this process, work is done only in the first instant, in the contact of an atom of Earth with one of *ap*; the resulting contacts, of atom with binary molecule and of the binary molecules with each other, involve no further expenditure of Energy. Thus we get a particle holding two binary molecules (of Earth and *ap* respectively) in complex contact, and such particles continue to be formed. In this way the particles of the two substances arrange themselves, and the peculiarity of this molecular arrangement explains the resulting mixed or compound qualities of this class of quasi-compounds.