420 Mr. Faraday on the Condensation 



milar fluids obtained from materials containing water, do not 

 contain a portion of tliat fluid ; inasmuch as its absence has 

 not been proved, as it may be with chlorine, suljjhurous acid, 

 cyanogen, and ammonia. But besides the analogy which ex- 

 ists between the latter and the former, it may also be observed 

 in favour of their dryness, that any diminution of temperature 

 causes the deposition of a fluid from the atmosphei'e, precisely 

 like that previously obtained; and there is no reason for sup- 

 posing that these various atmospheres, remaining as they do 

 in contact with concentrated sulphuric acid, are not as dry 

 as atmospheres of the same kind would be over sulphuric acid 

 at common pressure. 



Euchlorine. 



Fluid euchlorine was obtained by inclosing chlorate of pot- 

 ash and sulphuric acid in a tube, and leaving them to act on 

 each other for 24 hours. In that time there had been much 

 action, the mixture was of a dark reddish brown, and the at- 

 mosphere of a bright j-ellow colour. The mixture was then 

 heated up to 100°, and the unoccupied end of the tube cooled 

 to 0° ; by degrees the mixture lost its dark colour, and a very 

 fluid ethereal looking substance condensed. It was not mis- 

 cible with a small portion of the sulphuric acid which lay be- 

 neath it ; but when returned on to the mass of salt and acid, 

 it was gradually absorbed, rendering the mixture of a much 

 deeper colour even than itself 



Euchlorine thus obtained is a very fluid transparent sub- 

 stance, of a deep yellow colour. A tube containing a portion 

 of it in the clean end, was opened at the opposite extremity ; 

 there was a rush of euchlorine vapour, but the salt plugged 

 up the aperture : whilst clearing this away, the whole tube 

 burst with a violent explosion, except the small end in a cloth 

 in my hand, where the euchlorine previously lay, but the fluid 

 had all disappeared. 



Nitrous Oxide. 



Some nitrate of ammonia, previously made as dry as could 

 be by partial decomposition, by heat in the air, was sealed up 

 in a bent tube, and then heated in one end, the other being 

 preserved cool. By repeating the distillation once or twice in 

 this way, it was found, on after examination, that very little 

 of the salt remained undecomposed. The process requires 

 care. I have had many explosions occur with very strong 

 tubes, and at considerable risk. 



When the tube is cooled, it is found to contain two fluids, 

 and a very compressed atmosphere. The heavier fluid on ex- 

 amination proved to be water, with a little acid and nitrous 



oxide 



