Section of French chemist Etienne Geoffroy's 1718 affinity table, the very first affinity table, constructed form affinity reaction descriptions as found in Isaac Newton's 1718 Query 31, each "header species" (top row) shown with potential "reactants" (chemicals below header species), listed in descending order of "affinity" preference, the weakest reactant listed in the lowest row. |
A modern diagram of "affinities", in the physico-chemical sociological context, from the 2019 Beg-Thims interview. |
“Delicate [chemical] relationships [exist between people] through which they attract and repel, neutralize each other, separate again and re-establish themselves.”
Berthollet, Guldberg, Waage (1867) Berzelius, Helmholtz (1887) Mitscherlich, Spring (1904) Deville, Debray, Berthelot Thomson, Berthelot (1865) Horstman, Gibbs, Helmholtz | |
The main pioneers of late 18th century affinity chemistry, in physical chemistry in particular, according to the 1905 opinion of Dutch chemist Jacobus van't Hoff. [9] |
“Affinity is defined as the maximum quantity of work that a chemical change can produce. Equilibrium ensues when this quantity is zero.”
where μ is the chemical potential of ith component or chemical species and ν is the stoichiometric coefficient of the ith component or chemical species in the reacting system. This can also be redefined in terms such as: extent of reaction, progress of reaction, and or relaxation of reaction. [17]