24 On some new Electrochemical Researches 



ceived might act at the same time on oxygen, and on the' 

 basis of nitrogen. Potassium, as I have before stated, 

 sublimes in nitrogen, without altering it, or being itself 

 changed : but I thought it possible, that the case might be 

 different, if this powerful agent were made to act upon ni- 

 ti\>gcn, assisted by the intense heat and decomposing ener- 

 gy of Voltaic electricity. 



I had an apparatus made, by which the Voltaic circuit 

 could be completed in nitrogen gas, confined by mercury, 

 by means of potassium and platina. The potassium, in the 

 quantity of about two or three grains, was placed in a cup 

 of platina, and by contact with a wire of platina it could 

 be fused and sublimed in the gas. The quantity of nitro- 

 gen was usually about a cubical inch. The battery em- 

 ployed was always in full action for these experiments, and 

 consisted of one thousand double plates. The phaenomena 

 were very brilliant : as soon as the contact with the potas- 

 sium was made there was always a bright light, so intense 

 as to be painful to the eye ; the platina became white hot ; 

 the potassium rose in vapour; and by increasing the di- 

 stance of the cup from the wire, the electricity passed 

 through the vapour of the potassium, producing a most 

 brilliant flaine, of from half an inch to an inch and a 

 quarter in length; and the vapour seemed to combine with 

 the platina, which was thrown off in small globules in a 

 State of fusion, producing an appearance similar to that 

 produced by the combustion of iron in oxygen gas. 



In all trials of this kind, hydrogen was produced"; and 

 in some of them there was a loss of nitrogen. This at first 

 seemed* to lead to the inference that nitrogen is decom- 

 pounded in the process ; but I found that, in proportion 

 as the potassium was introduced more free from a crust of 

 potash, which would furnish water and consequently hy- 

 drogen in the experiment, so in proportion was there less 

 of this gas evolved ; and in a case in which the greatest 

 precautions were taken, the quantity did not equal | of 

 the volume of gas, and there was no sensible quantity of 

 nitrogen lost. 



The largest proportion of nitrogen which disappeared in 

 any experiment, was T \ of the quantity used; but in this 

 case the crust of potash was considerable, 3nd a volume of 

 hydrogen, nearly equal to J of the nitrogen, was produced. 

 It cannot be said that the nitrogen is not decomposed in 

 this operation ; but it seems much more likely that the 

 slight loss is owing to its combination with nascent hy- 

 drogen, and its being separated with the potassium in the 



form 



