In a message dated 9/28/2001 12:44:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, squi...@silver.nxlkhost.com writes:
> Subj:RE: CS>Ions vs Particles > Date:9/28/2001 12:44:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time > From: squi...@silver.nxlkhost.com (Stephen Quinto) > Reply-to: <A > HREF="mailto:squi...@natural-immunogenics.com";>squi...@natural-immunogenics.com</A> > To: silver-list@eskimo.com > > > > > Roger, > The reason I said the fact of the matter is confounding is this: the ionic > content in a formulation is not quite so simple. The ionic silver content > is in all likelihood complexed with whatever impurities were present in the > water to begin with.... or that it has taken from the air. Such > relationships are not easily determined, if at all -- such as AgNO3 to > mention one specifically that is likely present in most formulations. Since > Nitrogen is #7 in the Atomic chart it is not really detectable even by > Inductively coupled Plasma Spectrophotometry although other elements [above > 8] that can be detected might be present. Stephen: According to the thermodynamics of dilute solutions, the confounding effects of impurities such as the ones you are referring to on the activity coefficient of Ag+ are negligible. This fact has been demonstrated any number of times in simple as well as complex systems. And as long as you brought it up, strictly speaking, solubility product calculations are valid ONLY for dilute solutions. > > How materials operate at a sub-nanometer level are full of mystery. I am > convinced there is some similarity with homeopathic science, where only the > vibrational memory of a particular presence is left in a, for example, 30x > dilution. > When using a TEM, for example, we are often able to see the effect of > electron bombardment on some of the materials, esp those that are neutral > but remain susceptible to the electrons. We've seen what look like > nanometer-scale chips, cut are really crystals coursing with energy in > patterns that resemble computer chips. > Anyway.... I'm not wringing my hands at the challenge, just having > difficulty finding time. Stephen: Admittedly, when we are reduced to observations on a subatomic scale, there are additional complications. However, classical thermodynamics studies systems on a macro scale. In doing so, spurious effects such as the ones you are referring to can be ignored without any problems. Actuaries, for example, rely on "the law of large numbers" to make accurate statistical predictions even though they study (highly complex) people, not single atoms. Roger
