soDTui\r OP. P0TARßnT]\[ : EDWAra) btvepr. 57 



and that of the hyponitrite, that of the silver nitrate became 

 known. In one experiment the bulb Avas at once freely opened 

 to the air and the gases rapidly blown out ; in this way the 

 nitric oxide showed its presence by reddening in the air and 

 both the silver and the silver nitrate were directly determined. 



These experiments established the production of nitrogen, 

 as well as that of the other substances and tJie non-production 

 of any apj^reciable quantity of nitrous oxide. Tlie quantitative 

 results were that wlien the decomposition is slowly effected, as 

 between 140° and 160°, silver hyponitrite yields about 27 per 

 cent, of its nitrogen in the free state and about 20 per cent, 

 when the decomposition is rapidly accomplished at higher tem- 

 peratures. The silver nitrate was found in quantities corres- 

 ponding with those of the nitrogen, according to the equation — 

 3(_AgO]Sr}o = 4Ag + 2AgN03 + 2K, ; l)ut that of course proved nothing, 

 since the whole of the nitrate might have been formed by the 

 nitric j)eroxide during the cooling, as certainly much of it must 

 have been. On the other hand, the limited quantities of nitro- 

 gen generated gives fidl proof that much nitric oxide is either 

 primarily formed or comes from interaction between hyponitrite 

 and peroxide, besides what undoubtedly comes from the inter- 

 action of the nitric peroxide and metallic silver during tlie cool- 

 ins;. Were none of the nitrocjon of the salt to become nitric 

 oxide, the free nitrogen would be half of tlie total nitrogen, 

 instead of only three or four fifteenths as found. 



From the facts observed it seems to mo to be highly pro- 

 bable that silver hyj^onitrite decomposes into silver, nitrogen, 

 and nitric peroxide, according to the equation — 2(AgON). = 4Ag + 

 N2+2NO2, and that interaction then occurs Ijetween yet undecom- 

 posed hyponitrite and some of the nitric peroxide, thus : — 



