vapour over heated oxide of copper:—0.776 grain of the substance produced 5.6 cubic inches of carbonic acid gas, at a temperature of 60°, and pressure 29.98 inches; and 0.58 grain of water was collected. The 5°6 cubic inches of gas are equivalent to 0.711704 grain of carbon by calculation, and the 0.58 grain of water to 0.064444 of hydrogen.
Carbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0.711704 | or | 11.44 |
Hydrogen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0.064444 | or | 1. |
These quantities nearly equal in weight the weight of the substance used; and making the hydrogen 1, the carbon is not far removed from 12, or two proportionals.
Four other experiments gave results all approximating to the above. The mean result was I hydrogen, 11.576 carbon.
Now considering that the substance must, according to the manner in which it was prepared, still retain a portion of the body boiling at 186°, but remaining fluid at 0°, and which substance I find, as will be seen hereafter, to contain less carbon than the crystalline compound (only about 8.25 to 1 of hydrogen), it may be admitted, I think, that the constant though small deficit of carbon found in the experiments is due to the portion so retained; and that the crystalline compound would, if pure, yield 12 of carbon for each 1 of hydrogen, or two proportionals of the former element and one of the latter.
| 2 | proportionals | Carbon | 12 | 13 bicarburet of hydrogen | |
| 1 | Hydrogen | 1 |
This result is confirmed by such data as I have been able to obtain by detonating the vapour of the substance with oxygen. Thus in one experiment 8092 mercury grain measures of oxygen at 62° had such quantity of the substance introduced into it as would entirely rise in vapour; the volume increased to 8505: hence the vapour amounted to 413 parts, or 1206, of the mixture nearly. Seven volumes of this mixture were detonated in a audiometer tube by an electric spark, and were diminished in consequence nearly to 6:1: these, acted upon by potash, were further diminished to 4, which were pure oxygen. Hence 3 volumes of mixture had been detonated, of which nearly 0.34 was vapour of the substance, and 2°65 oxygen. The carbonic acid amounted to 2.1 volumes, and must have consumed an equal bulk of oxygen gas; so that 0°55 remain
