£52 ACTION OF POTASSIUM ON AMMONIA. 



ployed, were by introducing the trays into vessels filled with 

 over mercury. The product often inflamed 

 spontaneous!)', and could always be made to burn by a slight 

 degree of heat. 

 0*5»en ab- * n l ^ e tr ' ii ^ tnat I regard as the most accurate, two cubical 



«wbe<l andni- inches and a half of oxigen were absorbed, and only a cubi- 

 cal iueh and one twith of nitrogen evolved. 



Surprised at the smailness of the quantity of the nitro- 

 gen, I fought for ammonia in the products of these opera- 

 tions; but various trials convinced me, that none was 

 formed. I examined the solid substances produced, ex- 

 pecting nitrous acid; but the matter proved to be dry 

 potash, apparently pure, and not affording the slightest 

 traces of acid. 



The quantity of nitrogen existing in tlje ammonia, whicji 

 this residuum would have y)roduced by the action of water, 

 supposing the volatile alkali decomposed by electricity, 

 would have equalled at least two cubical inches and a 

 quarter. 

 Txnoscd to ^ heated the same proportions of residuum with the red 



cascent oxi- oxide of mercury, and the red oxide of lead in vacuo, ex- 

 rtKintitv of ni- pecting that when oxigen was supplied in a gradual way, 

 tsugen small, the result might be different from that of combustion ; but 

 in neither of these cases did the quantity of nitrogen ex- 

 ceed a cubical inch and a half. 



But on what could this loss of nitrogen depend ; had it 

 entered into any unknown form with oxigen, or did it not 

 really exist in the residuum in the same quantity, as in the 

 ammonia produced from it ? 

 Residuum ex- I hoped that an experiment of exposing the residuum to 

 4>osed to in- intense heat might enlighten the inquiry. 1 distilled one of 

 the portions, which had been covered with naphtha, in a tube 

 of wrought platina made for the purpose. The tube had 

 been exhausted and filled with hidrogen, and exhausted 

 a*rain, and was then connected with a pneumatic mercurial 

 apparatus. Heat was at first slowly applied, till the napti- 

 tha had been driven over. It. was then raised rapidly by an 

 excellent forge. When the lube became cherry red, gas 

 was developed ; it continued to be generated for some mi* 

 nutes. When the tube had received the most intense heat, 



that 



