SODIUM OR POTASSIUM : EDWARD DIVERS. 77 



acetate the bypouitrite radical cannot be less than NJX. The 

 strong alkalinity of tbe alkali salts and the inactivity upon 

 litmus of tbeir partially neutralised solution, first pointed out 

 by me ; and the solubility, though only slight, of silver hyponi- 

 trite in hypouitrous acid solution (Thum) and in alkali hyponi- 

 trite solution are also facts in accordance with the dihydric 

 composition of the acid. Other chemical evidence of the diazo 

 composition of hyponitrites is afforded by the fact of the dif- 

 ficulty if not imjoossibility, of deoxidising or hydrogenising 

 them (see p. G2). The derivation of hyponitrites from the in- 

 teraction of hydroxylamine and nitrous acid would only afford 

 evidence of the diazo magnitude of the molecule, if the hypo- 

 nitrite prodnced were mncli larger in quantity than what can 

 be obtained from hydroxylamine by other oxidising agents, or 

 from nitrous acid by other reducing agents. 



My colleague, Assistant Professor Ikeda, has kindly made 

 some determinations of the molecular magnitude of sodium 

 hyponitrite by Loewenherz' method {Z. pays. Ch., 1896, 18, 

 70), in which the lowering of the freezing point of melted 

 hydrated sodium sulphate by another sodium salt is observed. 

 Loewenherz found that sodium salts behave towards the water 

 of hydrated sodium sulphate almost as non-electrolytes. Prof. 

 Ikeda, in his experiments, employed sodium thiosulphate in 

 place of sulphate, but only because he had been working with 

 that salt and had had large experience with it. Unfortunately, 

 the anhydrous sodium hyponitrite I could furnish at the time 

 was contaminated with 4 or 5 per cent, of carbonate (same 

 mol. wt.), so that the determination of the molecular magnitude 

 can only be regarded as approximate. But it is amply sufficient 

 to decide between NaON = 53 and (NaOX)o = 10o, if that were any 



