364 On the Manufacture of^unpowder . 



Admitting the foregoing observations to be tolerably correct, 

 the following will turn out to be the quantities of the con- 

 stituent principles which enter into the composition of gun- 

 powder : 



nK f f •. . • • /Dry nitre 7425 



75 parts of nitre, contammg ^^^Va^er - 075 



,r ^ r u 1 fCarbon 13-13 



15 parts of charcoal - -[^^Vater 1-87 



10 parts of sulphur - Sulphur 1000 



100 100-00 



And these again contain, viz. 

 Potash. Oxygen. Azot. Hydrogen. Carbon. 

 36-75 + 30-34 + 7-80 + 6-11 = Nitre 75 



1-60 + 0-27 + 13-13 = Charcoal 15 



Sulphur ----- 10 



100 parts of gunpowder, therefore, appear to consist of 



100-00 

 We know that the whole of the charcoal is not consumed 

 in the act of combustion ; Mr. Cruickshank says 3 parts re- 

 main of 100 parts of gunpowder, therefore only 10*13 parts 

 are destroyed. Now, 



10-13 parts of carbon absorb - 2605 of oxyg<?n 

 .And 10 parts of sulphur absorb - 3-00 of oxygen 



Oxygen used - - 29*05 



Quantity of oxygen in ingredients 31*95 



Surplus of oxygen - 2 90 



It is clear the smallest error in the quantity of cliarcoa. 



used, will easily account for this difference of oxygen. On 



the above calculation it seems the quantity of each ingredient 



is pretty well regulated^ and that the gases formed will be 



expended 



