54 hesearchks on sulphur and phosphorus. 



drogcn, indue is set free, and a sulphuret of potassium, containing one 

 proportion 5 fourth of sulphur, is formed, exactly the same as that pro- 

 duced by the immediate combination of sulphur and the 

 metal, 

 and in larger When sulphuretted hidrogen is employed in larger quan- 

 pruportiou. titles, there is an absorption of this gas, and a volume is taken 

 up about equal to the quantity of hidrogen disengaged ; 

 and a compound of sulphuretted hidrogen and sulphuret of 

 potassium is formed, whicli gives sulphuretted hidrogen by 

 the action of an acid, nearly double in quantity to that 

 given by the sulphuret of potassium. 

 Potassium From a number of experiments, I am inclined to be- 



*^h™ ho^ ^ lieve, that potassium and phosphorus, in whatever quantities 

 only, in one they are heated together, combine only in one proportion, 

 proportion. ^ grain of potassium requiring about | of a grain of phos- 

 phorus to form a phosphu ret ; which, when acted upon by 

 muriatic acid, produces from -r\ to -{-^ of a cubical inch of 

 phosphu retted hidrogen. 

 Action of pot- Half a grain of potassium decomposes nearly three 

 assiumon cubical inches of phosphuretted hidrogen, and sets fre» 

 hidrogen. rather more than four cubical inches of hidrogen ; and the 

 phosphuret formed seems to be of the same kind as that 

 produ<;ed by direct combination of the metal with phos- 

 phorus. 

 Weight of an If, according to Mr. Dalton's ideas of proportion, the 

 ©/"ilp^hu^ de^ quantity in which sulphur enters into its combinations were 

 duceri from its to be deduced from its union with potassium, in which it 

 compounds, s^^ems to form about i the weight of the compound, the 

 number representing it would be 13*5. I have lately 

 weighed sulphuretted hidrogen, and sulphureous acid gas, 

 Sp erav.of ^^*'^ great care: the specilic gravity of the first at mean 

 sulphuretted temperature and pressure, from my experiments, is 10645, 

 .fufphliTeou"'^ which differs very little from the estimation of Mr. Kir- 

 •eid gas, wau : that of sulphureous acid gas 1 tind is 20967, Sul- 



phuretted hidrogen, as I have shown, contains an equal 

 volum« of hidrogen ; and on this datum the number 

 representing sulphur is 13*4. I have never been able to 

 burn sulphur in oxigen without forming sulphuric acid 

 in small quantities; but in several experiments I have ob- 

 tained from 92 to 98 parts of sulphureous acid from 100 

 - of 



