82 Mr. Davy ow a new Gaseous Compound of Carbon and Hydrogen. 



PROPERTIES OF THE NEW GAS. 



This gas is colourless, invisible, and possesses the mechanical properties of 

 common air. It is highly inflammable, and when kindled in contact with air, it 

 burns with a bright white flame, apparently denser, and of greater splendoui-, than 

 that of olefiant gas, under similar circumstances. This may be strikingly shown 

 by making a comparative experiment, and burning equal bulks of olefiant gas, 

 and of the new gas, separately, in a tube ; — the former will burn with a bluish 

 flame, the latter with a bright white flame. If the supply of air is limited during 

 the combustion of the new gas, there is a copious deposition of carbon in the 

 form of light flakes. When the new gas was mixed with about six times Its 

 volume of air, it exploded, when kindled, producing a white flame and a whistling 

 sound. One measure of the new gas being mixed with about ten measures of 

 air in a tube, and kindled, produced a loud explosion, accompanied by a blue 

 flame, which pervaded nearly the whole length of the tube. One measure of 

 the new gas, and nineteen of air, burned rapidly with a blue flame. 



The new gas forms with oxygen, a powerful explosive mixture, especially 

 when the volume of the latter Is about three or four times that of the former. In 

 exploding a mixture of this kind In a detonating tube about half an Inch in 

 diameter, and nearly one-third of an Inch thick, the tube was shattered in pieces 

 by the violence of the shock, though the volume of new gas did not exceed -^ of 

 a cubic inch. 



When chlorine Is brought In contact with the new gas, instant explosion takes 

 place, accompanied by a large red flame, the deposition of much carbon, and con- 

 densation (to a certain extent) of the two gases ; and these effects occur In the 

 dark, and are of course quite independent of the action of the sun's rays, or of 

 light. 



The new gas Is permanent over mercury, and may apparently be kept over 

 this fluid for an indefinite length of time, without undergoing any change. It Is 

 slowly absorbed by water, and agitation promotes the effect. I made the follow- 

 ing experiment, to determine the quantity of the new gas which water would 

 absorb : — 



