tON THE METALS OF THE ALKALIS. ^ 6| 



Water (which however cannot be) in the centre of this amal- 

 gam, we will relate another, to which we think he cannot 

 reply« It is as follows, 



•* After having made a liquid amalgam of potassium, we Expenmentte 

 poured it into a large cupel of moistened sal ammoniac* P'^'^^^ 

 and obtained immediately, by the process for which we are 

 indebted to Mr. Davy, a very bulky and very consistent 

 compound of potassium and ammoniacal amalgam. Then, 

 having remor&d with a knife all the upper part, we took 

 out the interior parts with a very dry iron spoon, and imme- 

 mediately put them into a tube almost full of mercury, 

 which had been previously boiled. Afterward, having closed 

 this tube, which was thus filled with mercury and the com- 

 pound of ammoniacal amalgam with potassium, with a very 

 dry stopple, we inverted it in mercury also well dried. The 

 amalgam rose above the mercury, and was almost imme- 

 diately decomposed, particularly by means of a slight agi- 

 tation. But, in proportion as the decomposition went on, a 

 pretty considerable quantity of gas was extricated ; and this 

 gas was always found to be a mixture of ammoniacal and hi- 

 drogen gas, in the proportion nearly of 2*5 to 1. Now will 

 it be said, that the mercury or our vessels were humid ? We 

 can prove they were not; for, on pouring into them* aa 

 amalgam of potassium, instead of a compound of potassium 

 and ammoniacal amalgam, no gas was evolved. Or will it 

 be said, that the interior of the ammoniacal amalgam with . * 



potassium contained a small quantity of water ? But this V 



is impossible, since water and potassium cannot exist to- 

 gether. Or, finally, will it be said, that we could not ac- 

 curately remove with a knife the external portions of th^ . 

 compound of ammoniacal amalgam with potassium ? But 

 the experiment is so easily performed, that it can never 

 fail. 



«* Thus the slightest objection cannot be made to this $««•*** 



experiment, and it must be conclusive, even in the eyes of 

 Mr. Davy. Besides, the result is easily understood: it is. The result ex- 

 the potassium, combining with a very large quantity of P^*^"^» 

 mercury, is so disseminated, that it can no longer act with 

 sufficient force on the ammonia and hidrogen to unite 

 th^m ; so that the ammoniacal amalgam of potassium finds 



itself 



