Experiments on Ammonia, 449 



believe to be nearest the truth, and most precisely necessary 

 for mutual saturation, is that resulting from the second 

 experiment, viz. 67 j measures ot oxygen gas to 100 of am- 

 monia, or 100 of the former to 148 of the latter. 



It may be observed, also, by comparing the numbers in 

 the two last columns of the table, that the hydrogen and 

 nitrogen gases do not uniformly bear the same proportions 

 to each other. Notwithstanding all the labour I have be- 

 stowed on the subject, f have not been able to obtain a 

 nearer correspondence, owing most probably to the imper- 

 fection of the mode of analysing a mixture of hydrogen 

 and nitrogen gases. In the mixture of permanent gases, 

 determined in this way, the hydrogen, it may be remarked, 

 bears generally rather a less ratio than that of 74 to 26. I 

 do not, however, consider this fact as contradicting the ac- 

 curacy of the proportions which you have assicned ; and it 

 appears to me that a sufficient reason may be given for the 

 want of a more perfect coincidence between results ob- 

 tained by such different methods of investigation. In the 

 products of the electrization of ammonia, the hydrogen 

 composes nearly three-fourths of the mixture: and hence 

 its combustion by oxygen gas is likely to be completely 

 effected, and the whole of the hydrogen condensed into 

 water. But after the partial combustion of annnonia by 

 oxygen gas, a residuum is left of hydrogen and nitrogen 

 gases, of which the hydrogen usually composes less, and 

 sometimes considerably less, than one-half the bulk. In 

 this case, it may be suspected that a small quantity of hy- 

 drogen occasionally escapes being burned ; and whenever 

 this happens, its proportion to the nitrogen will appear to 

 be less than the true one*. 



From the inflammability of a mixture of ammonia with 

 oxygen gas, it was natural to expect that this alkali would 

 prove susceptible oi' slow combustion. By means of a pe- 

 culiar apparatus (on a plan which I have described in the 

 Philosophical Transactions for 1808, Part II., but on a 

 smaller scale, and with the substitution of mercury for 

 water), I have found that ammonia, expelled froni the 

 orifice of a small steel burner, may be kindled by electricity 

 in a vessel of oxygen gas ; ami that it is slowly' consumed 



• This consideration luggcstR the propriety of using no more oxygen ia 

 the lir'-t conihiiiticiiot ammuni.i, than k burt-ly butfii:itnt to uillaniL- it; or 

 if a lar;;er quantity li.iJ beert used than is if.juircd for tliis punxjse, and A 

 residue contetiuently obtaii.ed, of which the liydro^eii form* .miy a email 

 '.jroijortion, it i^ proper to add a further i|uantitv of hydrojvn, before the 

 «jcond combuKiion. An allowitnce may afterwai d> Le m.-.d'f fut ttiis ad- 

 dition. 



Vol. 34. No. 140. Dec. IS09. F f wil^ 



