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Mr. Harold B. Dixon 07i 



of gaseous mixtures, and gives us the means of calculating 

 the maximum velocity obtainable with any mixture of 

 gases, but it also affords us information on the specific 

 heats of gases at very high temperatures, and it explains 

 the phenomena of detonation whether of gases or of solid 

 or liquid explosives. 



Table I. shows the explosion rates found by Berthelot, 

 compared with the theoretical velocity of the products of 

 combusion : — 



Table I. 

 Berthelofs Experiments. 



Two points in this table appeared to my mind as strong 

 arguments that Berthelot might have here given the true 

 theory of explosions : first, the close coincidence between 

 the rates of explosion of hydrogen both with oxygen and 

 nitrous oxide with the calculated mean velocities of the 

 products of combustion ; and secondly, the great discord- 



