Miedema method, which was proposed to calculate the heat of formation
of binary alloy system, is extended for calculating the heat of format
ion of ternary system by using the Toop's model: The hypothetical meta
llic allotropes correspounding to the properties of nonmetallic elemen
ts are introduced. In our calculation, the structure-dependent energy
contributions have not been taken into account. The heat of formation
of GaAs1-xPx, GaAs1-xNx, and GaP1-xNx are obtained by projecting the h
eat of formation of ternary systems, P-Ga-As, N-Ga-As, and N-Ga-P onto
the plane of the concentration of Ga, c(2), = 0.5, respectively. The
possibility of existence of ordered ternary compound was predicted. Th
e dependence of direct band gap, E(Gamma) or indirect one, E(X), for G
aP1-xNx and GaAs1-xNx, on x, the concentration of N, is obtained by us
ing the dielectric theory of electronegativity.