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A detailed study of the synthesis of ammonia in the glow discharge1,2 has shown that the rate of formation is proportional to the current passing through the discharge, and is independent of the pressure between wide limits. The maximum rate of reaction was obtained for a 2H2-N2 mixture.From these considerations an electrochemical equivalence law was proposed for the glow discharge which is comparable to Faraday's laws for electrolytes. This law is expressed as dP/dt = °c I, where P is the equivalent ammonia pressure, I the current and < a constant. This law has more recently been shown to have a universal application to the glow discharge.The technique employed was such that a fair estimation of relative reactivities of atoms, excited molecules and positive ions could be made. The results showed that no reactivity could be assigned to active states other than positive nitrogen ions under the conditions of these experiments.The present research was undertaken to test the following points: (1) Can the electrochemical equivalence law be applied to the low voltage type of arc? (2) Can any significance be given to the fact that a maximum rate was obtained for a 2H2-N2 mixture ? (3) What is the relative reactivity of the 16.8 volt nitrogen ion as compared to the 24.5 volt ion? (4) Can the presence of various active states other than Nj ions be detected under conditions where the voltage of the exciting electron can be controlled ?The activation of nitrogen and hydrogen by controlled electron impacts has been studied by several investigators. Kunsman3 obtained no reactivity for electron speeds under 17 volts. Storch and Olsen4 report synthesis to start at about 15 volts. Their voltage-rate curves showed a sudden break near 23 volts and breaks for every four volts' increase thereafter. Caress and Rideal5 detected a synthesis beginning at 13 volts with breaks at 17, 23, 30 and 34 volts. From this they assigned the reactive states to be H', and N+, successively, the breaks at 30 and 34 volts being due to combinations of the lower voltages. Recently