6 6 M. Karsten's Observations and Experiments 



many atoms of oxygen and hydrogen are found for 1000 atoms 

 of carbon. Another table indicates, how many atoms of hydro- 

 gen the substances analysed contain, for 1000 atoms of oxygen. 



In his calculations, M. Karsten admits, with M. Berzelius^ 

 that the weiglit of an atom of oxygen being represented by the 

 number ----- 100 



That of an atom of carbon is proportionally ex- 

 pressed by - - - - 75.33 



And that of an atom of hydrogen by - 6. SIT 



This being settled, in order to verify M. Karsten's calculation s^ 

 as we have already done, it is sufficient to recollect that, in the 

 under mentioned results of analysis, for example, with reference 

 to the Newcastle coal, each of the quantities found, whether for 

 the carbon, or for the hydrogen, or for the oxygen, abstraction 

 made of the contents in earthy matters, represents the product 

 of a number of atoms by the weiglit of an atom of the same 

 substance. Thus, admitting with Berzelius the above relations 

 between the weight of the atoms, we easily find the relations 

 that exist between the number of atoms, whether of carbon, or 

 of hydrogen, or of oxygen, in any one of the combustibles as- 

 sayed, and consequently the results which M. Karsten has ex-, 

 hibited in several tables. 



Here we shall put together into one table the results of the 

 twelve analyses mentioned above, and those of the subsequent 

 calculations of the author, adding, with the view of rendering 

 the whole complete, some details which M. Karsten has merely 

 pointed out ; but we shall make no change in the author's num- 

 bers, although we sometimes find, on repeating his calculations, 

 slight differences, — which, however, only bear upon the last 

 figures, and have in all probability resulted from the expeditious 

 methods which he may sometimes have employed in the calcu- 

 lation of the decimals^. 



