40 ARGON, A NEW CONSTITUENT OF THE ATMOSPHERE. 



(o) Lastly, M mixtuit; of ^Dtassiiim jiermaiigaiiate and liydioclilmic acid, in- 

 vnlviiiu; tlie presence of nascent clilorinc, had no action, for on al^sorbing chlorine 

 l)y means of potash, no altei'ation in volume had occurred. 



We do not claim to have exhausted the j)ossil)le reagents. But this mufli is 

 certain, that the gas deserves the name "argon," for it is a most astonishingly in- 

 different liody, inasmuch as it is unattacked by elements of very opposite character, 

 ran<;in<jr from sodium and maynesiuni on the one hand, to oxviren, chloiine, and 

 sulphur on the other. It will be interesting to see if Huorine also is without action, 

 but for the present that expei-imeiit must be jiostponed, on account of difficulties 

 of manipulation. 



1'"). (Jenekal Conclusions. 



It remains, finally, to discuss the probable nature of the gas or gases which 

 \vc have succeeded in separating from atmospheric air, and which we provisionally 

 name argon. 



That argon is present in the atmosphere, and is not manufactured during the 

 process of .separation, is amply proved by many lines of evidence. 



First: Atmospheiic nitrogen has a high density, while chemical nitrogen is 

 lighter. That chemical nitrogen is a uniform su1)stance is proved by the itlentity 

 of properties of .samples prepared by several different processes, and from several 

 different compounds. It follows, therefore, that the cause of the high density of 

 atmo.spheric nitrogen is due to the admixture with a heavier gas. If that gas 

 possesses the density of 20 compared with hydrogen as unity, atmospheric nitrogen 

 .should contain of it approximately one per cent. This was found to be the 

 case, for on causing the nitrogen of the atmosphere to combine with oxygen 

 in presence of alkali, the residue amo\inted to nearly one per cent. 



Second : This gas has been concentiated in the atmosphere by diffusion. It is 

 true that it has not been freed from oxygen and nitrogen by diffusion, but the 

 process of diffusion increases relatively to nitrogen the amount of argon in that 

 portion which does not pass throtigh the porous walls. That this is the case is 

 proved by the increase of density of that mixture of argon in nitrogen. 



riiiid : It is in the highest degree imi^'obable that two processes, .so different 

 from each other as those which have yieldeil ai'gon should e;icli maiiufactni-e the 

 same product. The ex[)lanation is simple if it be granted that these i)rocesses 

 merely elinn'nate nitrogen from an atmosjiheric mixture. 



Fourth : It has been shown that pure nitrogen prepared from its compounds 

 leaves an insignificant residue when caused to enter into combustion with oxygen 

 or with magnesium. 



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