20 Dr THOMAS THOMSON on a New Combustible Gas. 



The result of the analysis seems to be, that 12 volumes of 

 the gas consume 24 volumes of oxygen, and form 16 volumes of 

 carbonic acid gas. 



The 16 volumes of carbon would require 16 volumes of oxy- 

 gen to convert them into carbonic acid gas. The 8 remaining 

 volumes of oxygen, must have united to hydrogen ; and they 

 would require 16 volumes of hydrogen gas to convert them into 

 water. 



Thus it appears, that the gas contains equal volumes of car- 

 bon vapour and hydrogen gas ; 1 volume of the gas requires for 

 complete combustion 2 volumes of oxygen, and it forms 1^ vo- 

 lume of carbonic acid gas. The remaining 0'66 volume of oxy- 

 gen must have combined with 1^ volume of hydrogen, and form- 

 ed water. Hence a volume of the gas contains 



H volume of carbon vapour, 1 -, 



> condensed into one volume. 

 1 1 volume of hydrogen gas, J 



Specific gravity of 1^ volume of carbon vapour, O5555 

 1^ volume of hydrogen gas, O0926 



Total, 0-6482 



This subtracted from 4-1757, (the specific gravity of the gas), 

 leaves 3'5275 ; which must be the weight of chlorine gas con- 

 tained in a volume of the combustible gas. Now the specific 

 gravity of H volume of chlorine gas is 3'3333. 



The gas seems to be a compound of 



1^ volume carbon vapour, -\ condensed into one volume. 

 1^ volume hydrogen gas, (. These added together make 

 1^ volume chlorine gas, j a specific gravity of 3'98 14. 



This is lighter than the gas was found by experiment by 

 about T V st P art - But there is some uncertainty about the actual 



