Coulomb forces solvent averaged

In Eq. (154), we assume indeed that only the ions (Z 0) interact with each other and that the resulting interaction is simply the Coulomb potential modified by the zero-frequency dielectric constant e of the solvent. Of course, in an exact theory, we would have to take explicitly into account the interactions with the solvent, and the dielectric constant itself should come out of the calculation. The proper way of attacking this problem is based on the theory of the potential of average forces and is carefully analyzed in H. L. Friedman s monograph.11 However, the explicit calculations always become exceedingly complicated and, in one way or another, one always has to have recourse to an approximation of the type (154). It amounts to assuming ... 

In this way we have shown that the Coulomb macroscopic law (1) can be obtained as an asymptotic approximation to the potential of the average force between two ions in a non-polar solvent. 

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