[71] In combining with water one part by weight of lime evolves 245 units of heat. A high temperature is obtained, because the specific heat of the resulting product is small. Sodium oxide, Na_{ 2}O, in reacting on water, H_{ 2}O, and forming caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), NaHO, evolves 552 units of heat for each part by weight of sodium oxide.
[72] The diagram given in note 28 shows the evolution of heat on the mixture of sulphuric acid, or monohydrate (H_{ 2}SO_{ 4}, _i.e._ SO_{ 3} + H_{ 2}O), with different quantities of water per 100 vols. of the resultant solution. Every 98 grams of sulphuric acid (H_{ 2}SO_{ 4}) evolve, on the addition of 18 grams of water, 6,379 units of heat; with twice or three times the quantity of water 9,418 and 11,137 units of heat, and with an infinitely large quantity of water 17,860 units of heat, according to the determinations of Thomsen. He also showed that when H_{ 2}SO_{ 4} is formed from SO_{ 3} (= 80) and H_{ 2}O (= 18), 21,308 units of heat are evolved per 98 parts by weight of the resultant sulphuric acid.
[73] Thus, for different hydrates the stability with which they hold water is very dissimilar. Certain hydrates hold water very loosely, and in combining with it evolve little heat. From other hydrates the water cannot be separated by any degree of heat, even if they are formed from anhydrides (_i.e._ anhydrous substances) and water with little evolution of heat; for instance, acetic anhydride in combining with water evolves an inconsiderable amount of heat, but the water cannot then be expelled from it. If the hydrate (acetic acid) formed by this combination be strongly heated it either volatilises without change, or decomposes into new substances, but it does not again yield the original substances--_i.e._, the anhydride and water, at least in a liquid form. Here is an instance which gives the reason for calling the water entering into the composition of the hydrate, water of constitution. Such, for example, is the water entering into the so-called caustic soda or sodium hydroxide (_see_ note 71). But there are hydrates which easily part with their water; yet this water cannot be considered as water of crystallisation, not only because sometimes such hydrates have no crystalline form, but also because, in perfectly analogous cases, very stable hydrates are formed, which are capable of particular kinds of chemical reactions, as we shall subsequently learn. Such, for example, is the unstable hydrated oxide of copper, which is not formed from water and oxide of copper, but which is obtained just like far more stable hydrates, for example, the hydrated oxide of barium BaH_{ 2}O_{ 2} equal to BaO + H_{ 2}O, by the double decomposition of the solution of salts with alkalies. In a word, there is no distinct boundary either between the water of hydrates and of crystallisation, or between solution and hydration.