284 



E. DIVER« AND T. HA.GA 



ways, we have ascertained the amount of amidosulphonic acid to be 

 equal to nearly half the .sulphur of the nitrososulphate. 



Collection and analysis of results. — Not less than essentially three 

 independent equations will serve to express the results of the inter- 

 action of sodium amalgam with potassium nitrososulphate. For 

 convenience, we write these equations as four, namely, — 



3 [2K s N 2 SO s +8Na + 70H 2 = 2H 2 NS0 8 K+N 2 + 2KOH + 8NaOH] ; 



4 [ K 2 N 2 S0 5 + 2Na =(NaON) 2 + K 2 SO s ] ; 



-K,N 2 S0 5 + 2Na + OH 2 =K 2 S0 4 +N 2 + 2NaOH ; 

 -K 2 N 2 S0 5 + 6Na + 50H 2 = K,S0 4 + (NH 2 ) 2 + 6 NaOH. 



]. 



If these reactions do occur and in the proportions indicated by the 

 numbers prefixed to them, the products will correspond in their 

 proportions to those found, namely ; amidosulphonate equal to half 

 the sulphur and one-fourth of the nitrogen ; one-third of the nitrogen 

 as hyponitrite (three-fifths of this secured as such, before further de- 

 composition) ; one-third of the sulphur as sulphite ; and one-sixth of 

 the sulphur as sulphate ; together with one-sixth of the nitrogen, 

 partly as hydrazine, partly as elemental nitrogen ; and one-fourth of 

 the nitrogen as nitrous oxide (besides that from the hyponitrite 

 reaction), these being as yet unmeasured. Further, the above reactions' 

 in the proportions marked, represent one molecule of the nitrososul- 

 phate as being acted upon by sodium of the mean proportion of 3 — 

 3 J atoms, according to the relative quantities of hydrazine and 

 nitrogen produced, a result which agrees well with observation. 



Theoretical considerations. — The cause of the variety and number 

 of the products of the reduction of a nitrososulphate by sodium is, 

 undoubtedly, to be found in the different points at which fission of the 

 molecule of the salt must so easily occur, as shown by the formula we 

 have deduced for it. Under the action of sodium the salt shows the 



