1820.] Specijic Gravity of Gases. 243 



It is obvious that steam is a compound of 



1 atom oxygen = 1"000 



1 atom hydrogen = 0* 125 



Atom of steam = 1'125 



Protoxide of azote is composed of 



1 atom oxygen = 1*00 



1 atom azote = 1"75 



Atom of protoxide = 2'75 



Ammonia is composed of 



1 atom azote = 1"750 



3 atoms hydrogen = 0"375 



Atom of ammonia = 2- 125 



Hence it follows obviously that the volumes of which these 

 gaseous compounds are constituted, when they unite together, 

 are reduced to one half of their original volume. We see from 

 this that they unite with considerable force, and that this force 

 reduces their elasticity to one half of what it had been before 

 the union. 



The specific gravities of muriatic acid gas and of deutoxide of 

 azote are as follows ; 



Muriatic acid 1-284 



Deutoxide of azote 1-0416 



Or, reckoning oxygen 1, 



Muriatic acid 1-156 



Deutoxide of azote 0-9375 



Now if we multiply each of these numbers by 4, we obtain the 

 weight of an atom of each of them. For 



1-156 X 4 = 4-625 

 0-9375 X 4 = 3-75 



It is obvious that muriatic acid is composed of 



1 atom chlorine = 4-5 



1 atom hydrogen = 0-125 



Atom of muriatic acid = 4-625 



Deutoxide of azote is composed of 



2 atoms oxygen = 2-00 



1 atom azote = 1-75 



Atom of deutoxide = 3-75 



q2 



