1629 La Vereda Road
Berkeley, California
February 24, 1929
Prof. A. A. Noyes
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California
Dear Professor Noyes:
I am enclosing some examination questions for the juniors. the material contained
in Problem 2 seems to me to be worth investigation; if the field hasn't been carefully
covered already, perhaps experimental data should be obtained on transference numbers
relative to various non-electrolytes in order to test the suggested relation between
tw and the assumed constant value of tR. If the relation is verified, then the measurements
provide values of the amount of hydration of ions, eliminating the X of page 111.
Perhaps, though, this is not new -- I have never heard this explanation of the variation
of transference numbers with concentration before, however. Measurements on L1Cl would
be especially interesting, for it should show nearly twice as great change as NaCl.
The third problem should require the application of Onsager's equation to
CaCl2, in addition to data on the conductivity of HC2H3O2, given on page 114.
I have talked with Jack Sherman, and with Hogness and Hildebrand as well.
Both Hogness and Hildebrand recommend him. His brother, an identical twin, will be
given a teaching fellowship, with $750 and no tuition, here. He is not unusually prepossessing
in appearance, but he is also not repulsive. His success as a tutor indicates that
he will be a good freshman teacher. He has had one and a half years of research; in
this he is extremely industrious and ambitious, but as yet not very clever (in experimental
work). My feeling concerning him is that he will be a satisfactory teacher,and will
work very hard at research; I recommend that he be given a teaching fellowship. He
would like to know what decision is made as soon as possible, for he has made application
only at the Institute.
We stayed three days with the Hognesses on arriving here, and then moved
into a small house on the hill above the campus. We are well pleased, and have been
glad, too, to meet some of the people here for the first time, especially Professor
Branch and his wife. We went with Professor Lewis to a symphony concert last Sunday,
and on next Thursday we are invited to diner with them. I have not had much scientific
talk with him so far; in my lectures he has made only one or two remarks. The lectures
themselves have come off well, after the first. (I was somewhat nervous at being away
from Pasadena!) The
Prof. A.A. Noyes -2-
February 24, 1929
chemists attend them rather than the physicists, and my office is in Gilman
Hall; as a matter of fact, I haven't yet seen Williams, so that I'm not in very close
touch with the theoretical physicists!
Lamb has returned my paper on the complex acids of tungsten and molybdenum,
for he thinks it too speculative. I am going to look through it carefully to be sure
that it is satisfactory, and then, I think, send it to the Zeitschrift für anorganische
und allgem. Chemie. I am sorry, though, that I let Lamb have the other, for the two
go together.
I lecture at eleven on Monday and Friday, so that it will be possible for
me to come to Pasadena during any week-end, either that of the 9th or of the 16th
of March.
Sincerely
