and its relation to Ozone. 59 



takes place with nitrous acid, appears always to occur with 

 ozone — its decomposition when brought directly in contact with 

 bases. By its chemical properties, ozone is still more strongly 

 characterized as a superoxide of hydrogen. Thus metallic oxides 

 capable of a higher degree of oxidation, and which under these 

 circumstances form either peroxides or acids, become converted 

 into peroxides and acids by contact with ozone. Ammonia be- 

 comes converted into nitrate of ammonia, and mercury into its 

 oxide, without entering into any saline combination. It appears 

 to be without any action upon the metallic oxides of the mag- 

 nesian group. The colour of litmus is destroyed by it without 

 any preliminary reddening. Lastly, in the presence of readily 

 oxidizable substances, ozone gives up its oxygen to the latter, 

 whilst water is separated. This property renders it necessary to 

 exclude the hydrogen formed during the preparation of the ozone 

 by the electrolysis of water. Experiments, in which explosive 

 gas was allowed to pass through the apparatus above described, 

 always furnished an excess of water, and as in these experiments 

 the other conditions were unchanged, this formation of water 

 can only be explained by supposing a direct combination of the 

 free hydrogen with the oxygen existing in excess in the ozone. 



From all that has been stated above, no doubt can well remain 

 that hydrogen exists as an essential element in ozone. If we 

 consider the circumstances under which the gas passed through 

 the apparatus, we must arrive at the conclusion, that the hydro- 

 gen found could not arise from watery vapour which had been 

 carried over ; for before its arrival at the globe apparatus, it had 

 passed through a sulphuric acid tube five times as long as that 

 through which it finally issues. The globe apparatus might 

 therefore weigh less than would correspond with the weight of 

 the oxygen as found by testing with a normal solution, but 

 never more. Another objection which might be urged against 

 these experiments is founded upon the tension of the vapour of 

 sulphuric acid, which might possibly be sufficient to allow free 

 sulphuric acid to be carried over with the gases into the globe 

 apparatus. To refute this objection, I drove 50 litres of atmo- 

 spheric air through the drying tube in a powerful stream, 

 attaching the globe apparatus filled with distilled water. Not 

 the slightest turbidity was produced by the addition of chloride 

 of barium after the completion of the operation. 



In consequence of the uncertainty which exists as to the iden- 

 tity of the substances included under the name ozone, it must 

 always appear doubtful whether the body which has been ob- 

 tained by the passage of electric sparks through dried oxygen 

 gas is really the compound which has just been investigated. 

 Its formation under these circumstances could only be explained 



