76 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



nitride and bismuth nitride, respectively. The reactions are repre- 

 sented by the following equations : 



AgNOs + KNHo = AgNHa -f- KNO3 



Pb(N03)2 + 2KNH2 = PbNH + 2KNO3 + NHa 



3Hgl2 + 6KNH2 = Hg3N2 + 6KI + 4NH3 



Bils + 3KNH2 = BiN + SKI + 2NH3. 



These substances are precipitated when potassium amide and the 

 salts are brought together in ammonia solution. Silver amide is pure 

 white, lead iraide is orange, bismuth nitride is dark brown, and mer- 

 cury nitride is chocolate brown. All of these compounds are very ex- 

 plosive. So sensitive, indeed, is silver amide that only with great 

 difficulty was the analysis of the compound accomplished. 



Compounds Related to Ammonia as the Ordinary Basic Salts Are to 

 Water. ( "Ammonbasic Salts," " Basic Amide Salts." Suggest a good 

 name.) In some cases when the metallic salt is in excess, the result 

 of the action of the alkali amide on the salt is a compound related to 

 ammonia as the ordinary basic salts are to water. Examples of these 

 compounds are HgClNH2, Hg = N — Hg — Brand Hg — NHg — I, 

 which are formed when mercuric chloride, bromide, and iodide, re- 

 spectively, are treated with potassium amide. The reactions take 

 place in accordance with the equations : 



HgCl2 + NaNHo = HG^'jj,, + NaCl 

 2Hgl2 4- 3KNH2 = Hg = N — Hg — 1 + SKI + 2NH3. 



HgClNHi is the well-known infusible white precipitate, which is 

 usually considered to be mercuriammonium chloride, Hg = NH2. CI, 

 but by the writer looked upon as a compound related to ammonia as 

 a basic salt is to water, with the formula given above. This formula, 

 originally proposed for mercury chloramide by Kane some sixty years 

 ago, has, in recent years, been discredited on the authority of Ram- 

 melsberg. The other two compounds are less well known. They are 

 described in the literature as having been prepared from aqueous so- 

 lutions, while their existence has also been denied. According to 

 Rammelsberg, they are dimercuraramonium salts; the iodide, for ex- 

 ample, having the formula Hg = N.I. The author's formulation is 

 given above. These basic compounds dissolve in liquid ammonia so- 

 lutions of ammonium salts, in a manner analogous to their solution in 

 dilute aqueous acids, as indicated by the equation 



Hg = N — Hg — I + 3NH4I = 2Hgl2 + 4NH3. 



Phenomena in Liquid Ammonia Analogous to Hydrolysis iti 

 Water. ("Aramonolysis," "Araidolysis," "Ammolysis." Suggest a 

 good name.) The salts of mercury, arsenic, antimony, tin, aluminum 

 and probably salts of other metals react with pure dry liquid am- 

 monia in a manner analogous to ordinary hydrolytic action in water. 



