254 action or POTASSIUM on ammonia. 



More than on« * n another similar experiment, made expressly for trie 

 third of the purposes of ascertain": the quantity of potassium recovered, 

 Jived. Um rG " tne sailie elastic products were evolved. The tube was 

 sneered to cool, the stop-cock being open in contact with 

 mercury, it was rilled with mercury, and the mercury dis- 

 placed by water ; when two cubical inches and three quar- 

 ters of hidrogen gas were generated, which proved, that 

 at least two grains and a half of potassium had been re- 

 vived. 

 Calculation of Now, if a calculation be made upon the products in these 

 t results. operations, considering them as nitrogen and hidrogen, and 

 taking the common standard of temperature and pressure, it 

 will be found, that, by the decomposition of 11 cubical 

 inches of ammonia equal to 2*05 grains, there are generated 

 3*6 cubical inches of nitrogen equal to 1*06 grains, and 9*9 

 cubical inches of hidrogen, which, added to that disengaged 

 in the first operation equal to about 6*1 cubical inches, are 

 together equal to -382 of a grain ; and the oxigen added to 

 3 # 5 grains of potassium would be *6 of a grain, and the whole 

 amount is 2*04 grains; and 2*05 — 2*04 ~ *01. But the 

 same quantity of ammonia, decomposed by electricity, 

 would have given 5'5 cubical inches of nitrogen equal to 

 1*6 grain, and only 14 cubical inches of hidrogen * equal 

 to '33, and allowing the separation of oxigen in this pro- 

 cess in water, it cannot be estimated at more than *11 or 

 •12. 

 Nitrogen lost So that, if the analysis of ammonia by electricity at all 

 and oxigen approaches towards accuracy ; in the process just described, 

 pK>duoed°. Se there is a considerable loss of nitrogen, and a production of 



oxigen and inflammable u.as. 

 Nitrogen gene* ^nd in the, action of water upon the residuum, in the ex- 

 ^ater employ- periment P a o e 252 > tliere i 8 an apparent generation of nitro- 

 «d. gen. 



How can these extraordinary results be explained? 

 Suppositions The decomposition and composition of nitrogen seem 

 this. Xi)lam proved, allowing the correctness of the data ; and one of its 

 elements appears to be oxigen ; but what is its other ele- 

 mentary matter? 



* See Phil. Trans. 1808, p. 40, or Journal, vol. xx, p. 328. 



Is 



