14<J EKfermenii en the OxiJaim tf Metals iy EhSlricitft 



EXPERIMENT XX. 



Grain Gold, 

 Fifty-four inches of wire drawn from grain gold, of t4t P^'' °^ ^" '"'^^ diameter, wa* 

 exploded by fix difcharges ; the Aider upon the eleftrometer was fet at forty-two grains; 

 it was converted into an an impalpable powder, of a dark brown purple colour : the mer- 

 cury rofe in the gage about a quarter of an inch, and the flame of a taper was extin- 

 guiflied four times. 



EXPERIMENT XXI. 

 Nine Inches of the fame fort of wire, but of a lefs diameter, being 1 30 part of an inch, 

 was exploded in the fame receiver by one difcharge : the mercury rofe about ^^ of an 

 inch, and the flame of the taper was extinguifhed four times. 



EXPERIMENT XXII. 



Platina, 

 Twenty- feven Inches of platina wire, of 1 30 part of an inch diameter, was exploded 

 by three difcharges. When the gage cock was opened, the mercury rofe a quarter of an 

 inch, but on applying the flame to the refidue. It was not extinguifhed. 



As platina is eafily fufed by eleftricity, the Aider upon the electrometer was only fet at 

 twenty-two grains for the laft experiment, and the refidue of air did not extinguifh the 

 flame. It was fuppofed that too low a charge had been ufed. The Aider was therefore fet 

 at thirty-two grains, and the experiment was repeated with the fame length and diameter 

 ' of wire, and exploded by the fame number of difcharges ; when the cock was opened, the 

 mercury rofe about one inch, and the flame of the taper was extinguiflied five times : the 

 metal was converted into a black impalpable powder, refembling that of filver. 



EXPERIMENT XXIIL 



7jinc. 



Nine inches of zinc wire, of ,~ P^'t of a" '"ch in diameter, was exploded by one dit- 



charge } when the gage cock was opened, the mercury rofe half an Inch, and the refidue 



of air extinguiflied the flame of a taper twice : the metal was converted into an impal- 



ble powder of a white colour, refembling that of tin. 



This metal being fo difficult to draw into wire, I was obliged to conclude with the 

 ^ above-mentioned length. 



From the refult of the foregoing experiments, It may be fafely concluded, that all the 

 du£tile metals can, by eleftric difcharges, be fublimed and converted into proper oxides, 

 by abforbing the oxigen of the atmofphere; and though fome of the metals refill the adtlon 

 of common fire, and require diflNerent folvents to convert them into oxideSj yet they all 

 yield to the action of the electric fluid. 



4 . It 



