/ [ i8o ] 



operated either by a fingle or double affinity. But in moft cafes 

 more of the precipitant muft be employed than the exafl quantity 

 necelTary for faturation, and particularly when decompofitions are 

 attempted in the dry way, as otherwife a complete contad with 

 the fubftance to be decompofed will not be attained, or if volatile 

 it may be fublimed before the decompofition takes place. 



Problem 12th. 



Some analyfls have denoted the llrength of their acids by ex- 

 prcffing the quantities of each neceffary to faturate a certain quantity 

 of alkaline liquor (and fometimes of another bafis) without even 

 telling whether the alkali was mild or cauftic, or the quantity of it 

 contained in the alkaline liquor. This problem is confequently 

 indeterminate. However a method of giving fome folutions of it 

 may be underftood from the following example ; and circumftances 

 will generally fhew whether the application to particular cafes be 

 juft. 



Link tells us that 240 grains of a vitriolic acid which he employed, 

 faturated 6,5 times its weight of tartarin (he muft mean in a liquid 

 flate, as no vitriolic acid will faturate fix times its weight of real 

 alkali) and that 240 grains of the nitrous acid he employed fatu- 

 rated 2,5 times its weight of the fame alkali, ^ere" the fpec. 

 gravity of both acids ? 



ift It is plain, that fince 240 grs. of the nitrgus acid faturated 

 2,5 times its weight of the alkali, 624 grs. of that acid would fa- 

 turate 



