INTERACTION BETWEEN SULPHITES AND NITRITES. 297 



1 part of sodium nitrite in 4.64 parts of water, besides the cal- 

 culated quantity of anhydrous sodium carbonate. 



The results of the experiments showed that hydroximidosul- 

 phate was largely produced from the beginning, in proportion 

 to the sulphite also formed. Thus, in one experiment, when 2ö 

 per cent, of the sulphur dioxide required for complete sulpho- 

 nation had been passed in, 55.3 per cent, of it had become 

 sulphonate, the rest (44.7 per cent.) sulphite. When 53.6 

 per cent, of the sulphur dioxide required had been used, 

 74.9 per cent, of it had become sulphonate and 25.1 per cent, 

 sulphite. In another closely comparable experiment, when 33.7 

 per cent, sulphur dioxide of that required had been absorbed, 

 62.7 per cent, of it had become sulphonate and the rest sulphite; 

 when 44.4 per cent, of the whole had been used, 72.75 per cent, 

 of it had become sulphonate ; and when 62.2 per cent, of the 

 whole had been used, 81.5 per cent, of it had become sulphonate. 

 That is to say, as for the last statement, when 20.2 grams of 

 sodium nitrite (with carbonate) had received 37.5 grams sulphur 

 dioxide, 23.3 grams of this had become sulphonate and 14.2 

 grams had become sulphite. 



Uniform results are here, however, as when hydroxide is 

 started with, only obtained by uniform working, of which the 

 following experiment is a good example. A solution of sodium 

 nitrite and carbonate was divided approximately into one-fifths and 

 four-fifths, and both portions were treated, as nearly as could be, 

 alike, their unequal quantities making the onty difference. The 

 smaller portion when it had received 20 per cent, of the full amount 

 of sulphur dioxide was found to contain 61.8 per cent, of it in form 

 of sulphonate, 38.2 per cent, of it as sulphite. The larger por- 

 tion, having received 25 per cent, of the amount necessary for 



