‎GULDBERG, C.M. et P. WAAGE.‎
‎Études sur les Affinités Chimiques. Programme de l'Université pour le Ier semestre 1867.‎

‎Christiania, Brøgger & Christie, 1867. Large 4to. Orig. full maroon cloth. Richly blindtooled on covers. A gilt medaillon on frontcover. A bit faded. Spine with some small cracks. All edges gilt. Equipped as a gift-copy. (2),74 pp., 18 plates. Clean and fine.‎

Reference : 50821

‎First edition edition of the large French version of this pioneer work on the law of mass action, the discovery that the direction taken by a chemical reaction is dependent not merely on the mass of the various components of the reaction, but upon the concentration, that is, upon the mass present in a given volume. Since the pamphlet was published in Norwegian (1863), it escaped the notice of most chemists. It became translated into French (the item offered) and it still made no impression. By the then Van't Hoff had described this law partially, but the priority of Guldberg and Waage was however recognized when Gibb's work became known. It could then be seen, that the law of mass action followed naturally from the basic principles of chemical thermodynamics.‎