Allotment

The act of allotting. That which is allotted; the part; the share; the portion granted. Allotrop'ic, a. ( Chem.) Belonging to allotrophy. Thus a substance is allotropic when it is capable of a uming two or three of the four conditions in which solid bodies may exist, (crystalline, vitreous, amorphous, and organized;) and an allotropic substance is in an allotropic state when it occurs in one of its regular conditions. Allotrophy, and ALLOT ROPISM, n . [Gr. allos , another, tropos, manner.) ( Chem .) The existence of the same substance in different forms, each endowed with different properties arising, not from differences in their chemical nature, but in their molecular arrangement. Sulphur, for example, often occurs naturally in beautiful and hard octohedral crystals. But if a quantity of these crystals be melted, and heated considerably beyond the boiling-point of water, and the liquid be then suddenly cooled by pouring it into cold water, a tough, flexible, transparent substance, of an amber color, is procured, which may be kneaded in the hand or drawn out into long threads, and is le easily inflamed than ordinary sulphur. This constitutes vitreous sulphur: but if it be left a few days, it becomes brittle, opaque, and partly crystalline. However, it is not all crystallized, for, if digested with bi-sulphide of carbon, part of it only will be di olved; the crystallized portion is taken up, and a buff-colored powder is left, which is insoluble. It has no crystalline appearance, and is am or pho us sulphur. This, if melted by heat, becomes as soluble as before. The carbon, as diamond , graphite, and charcoal , is another striking example of allotrophy. Allot'tee, n. A person to whom shares in a public undertaking are allotted.