Page:Elementary Principles in Statistical Mechanics (1902).djvu/210

186 is, a number taken from a table of numbers proportional to the weights of various molecules and atoms, but having one of the values, perhaps the atomic weight of hydrogen, arbitrarily made unity, the law of Boyle, Charles, and Avogadro may be written in the more practical form where $$A'$$ is a constant and m the weight of gas considered. It is evident that $$1~K$$ is equal to the product of the constant of the law in this form and the (true) weight of an atom of hydrogen, or such other atom or molecule as may be given the value unity in the table of molecular weights.

In the following chapter we shall consider the necessary modifications in the theory of equilibrium, when the quantity of matter contained in a system is to be regarded as variable, or, if the system contains more than one kind of matter, when the quantities of the several kinds of matter in the system are to be regarded as independently variable. This will give us yet another set of variables in the statistical equation, corresponding to those of the amplified form of the thennodynamic equation.