214 COMBINATION OF GASES, &C. 



quantity of heat, which not being capable of immediate cHflfi- 

 pation, raifes their temperature in the inftant fufliciently to 

 inflame them in this Rate of com predion. 



Thus it is that we find in the two gafes all the elements 

 neceflary for their combination, independently of the electric 

 fpark or external heat. We might probably in the fame man- 

 ner, and without any foreign agent, produce all the gafeous 

 combinations which require an increafe of temperature. 

 Deduction. This identity of refults has led me to a notion which I 



fpark may con- fubmit to the judgment of philosophers. It is known, and M. 

 fift merely of BerthoIIet has fliewn it in his Chemical Statics, that electricity 

 from coroprcfTcd '" P au ^ n g through bodies, produces a true compreflion of their 

 air. particles. This effect is produced with the moft extreme 



velocity, as may be proved by an affinity of experiments. 

 Now eleclricity pofleifing a velocity fo great, it is impollible 

 that it lhould not difengage light from the air, fince we Can 

 difengage it by a compreilion fo much lefs rapid. In this way 

 it is that we are led to a conclufion, that this refult of the 

 electric fpark is the purely mechanical effect of compreilion. 

 More ample ex- If we now compare what pafles in our condenfing pump 

 Sanation. The an(J j fl tJie eudiometer of Volta, we fhall find that the analogy 



extreme velocity OJ 



of ele-ftric mat- is complete. Only that in the fir ft cafe we are obliged to 



ter will ftrongly con f ine the air, becaufe the velocity we can give to the pif- 

 eomprefs tree ..... „ TI . , *: . ._ . . . . . 



ai^ ton is limited. Whereas in employing electricity, the particles 



are comprelfed by a velocity (o great that they can never 



withdraw themfelves with fufficient fpeed from its effort. 



Therefore the compreffion may be equally well made in the 



open air, together with the difengagement of light or the 



fpark, which is its confequence. But this effect is local ; and 



if the gafes be not fufceptible of combining together, (liould 



after each explofion return to their primitive dimenfions, they 



muft immediately refume in this dilation all the heat they 



had before dilengaged, fo that there cannot be effected any 



lafling change in their conltitution. This explains why no 



alteration has ever been feen in very pure unmixed gafes, 



when fubjected to the action of the electric fpark. 



**id alfo the rare This light which eleclricity difengages from the gafes by 



urvi " compreffion, it mud alfo difengage from the more rarified 



gafes, and on account of its extreme velocity, it muft difengage 



it even from vapours, when experiments are made under the 



receiver 



