248 Oji Oxalic Acid. 



to form a mixture of the specific gravity 0*84y, provided 

 the specific gravity of carbonic oxide be 0956, and that of 

 carbureted hydrogen 0-600; but this objection cannot be 

 admitted to be of much weight, till the specific gravity of' 

 pure carbureted hydrogen be ascertained with more accuracy 

 than has hitherto been done. 



The results contained in the preceding table enable us to 

 determine the composition of this inflammable air with con- 

 siderable precision ; for 100 cubic inches of it require 91 

 inches of oxygen, and form 93 cubic inches of carbonic acid. 

 But it is known that carbonic acid gas requires for its for- 

 mation a quantity of oxygen gas equal to its own bulk : 

 therefore to form 93 inches of it, 93 inches of oxyget) gas 

 must have been employed ,; but only 9I were mixed wjth 

 the gas : therefore the gas itself must have furnished a quan- 

 tity of oxygen, equivalent to the bulk of two cubic inches, 

 besides all the carbon contained in 93 inches of carbonic acid,' 



This carbon amounts in weight to ]2"09 grains. 



Two cubic inches of oxygen weigh '68 



Total 12-77 



But as 100 cubic inches of the gas weigh 28-15 grains, it is 

 obvious that besides the 12-77 grains which it furnished to 

 the carbonic acid, it must have contained 15-38 grains of 

 additional matter ; but as the only two products were car- 

 bonic acid and water, it is plain that the whole of this ad- 

 ditional xriatter must, by the explosion, have been converted 

 into water. Its constituents of course must have been 

 13*19 oxygen 

 2*19 hydrogen 



15-38 



Ac'din"- this to the 12- 77 grains formerly obtained, we get 

 the composition of the gas as follows : 



Oxygen 13'87 



Carbon 12-09 



Hydrogen 2-19 



28-15 



which 



