26 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



In accordance with equation 1, viz.: 



8 ECIO^ = 5 KCIO^ — 3 ECl — 2 0^ 



the amount of perchlorate found is 70 -7 per cent of the weight of 

 chlorate decomposed. In this connection it is to ha pointed out that 

 it seems to be impossible to change the whole of the chlorate sub- 

 mitted to heat as indicated by this equation, or in other words the 

 reaction is never complete. 



Below the temperature at which potassium perchlorate is decom- 

 posed, the reaction proceeds more and more slowly as the above condition 

 is approached, and it seems probable that an equilibrium state is finally 

 reached in which a certain amount of chlorate remains mixed with 

 the products of decomposition. Above the temperature of decom- 

 position of perchlorate, there is alwa3's a quantity of chlorate present 

 until the whole of the oxygen has been evolved. Evidence of this is 

 to be found in the numbers of Table 1, where it mav be seen 



