Roger,
we are already talking about very dilute systems. 10ppm is one part per
100,000. So ionic impurities take on greater proportionate values..
Stephen
-----Original Message-----
From: rogalt...@aol.com [mailto:rogalt...@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2001 1:46 PM
To: silver-list@eskimo.com
Subject: Re: CS>Ions vs Particles
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: squi...@natural-immunogenics.com
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
