;i320] the Atomic Theory. ^9"^ 



ceedino- by this method, if we take the combination of iron with 

 sulphuric Lid, it is composed, accovdmg to Berzehus, of 



Sulphuric acid „ 



Protoxide of iron 



and since composed of particle to particle, by knowing the 

 wpth of the inteo-rant particle of sulphuric acid, we can obtain 

 S offron ; for ^ 100 : 88 :: 5 : 4-^, weight of an integrant 

 particle of protoxide of iron ; and subtracting 1, the atom of 

 oxvo-en, 3-4 will represent the atom ot iron. 



S'r U the canon of Berzelius, as 88 protoxide of iron is to 20 

 oxvo^n so is 4-4, integrant particle of protoxide of iron, to 1 

 bu^l ; the weight of tnatoln of oxygen, and as the pvotoxid 

 IS composed of air atom of oxygen + an atom of iron, 44-1 



" Umay b? obt;ined from other acids with which iron combines 



'^^Tlr^S:^"- two well defined oxides of tin; th. first 

 composed of 100 tin + 13-6 oxygen; the second of 100 metal 

 + 2?-llvgen; from which it appears that the og^ei^ of^ihe 

 first is onelhalf that of the second, or as \-- 2; ^^^^^^"*\Ve have 

 4- 13-6 is a protoxide composed of atom to atom. >ve nave, 

 -1- 10 u is ci piutj.viv. t- inn .. 1 • 7-3o'2 weio^ht of an 



therefore, this proportion as 13-6 : 100 .. 1 . / ^o-. wc ^ 



^^56 °^C>per -There are two oxides of copper deterrmned by 

 very exacrix;;riments, the first composed of 100 -ta + '^- 

 ovvo-en- the second, of 100 metal + 2a oxygen; no^^ 12 5 . 2o 

 .7^9 ' Hence the first is a protoxide of one atom meta + one 

 •atom~^'oxyterwhtch gives ?he weight of the atom or copper 

 thus as \^-b ■ 100 :: 1 • 8 weight of the atom ot copper. 

 "^""B^^atC^^e IS but one oxide of b^smutl. is 



formed by the union of 100 metal with 11-267 oxygen. W e must 

 de^ ft a>otoxide, because we do not know any lower ; a.^d to 

 detemune^he weight of the atom of bismuth, we say as 11 267 . 

 100 :: 1 atom ox. : 8-785 atom ot bismuth. 



58 Mercuru.-^Ne may in most cases of the metulUc oxides 

 detelme which is the pr'otoxide by a^^lying the canon o Ber- 

 zehus, - that the oxygen of the protoxide is ^^-^^^f ,P\^2 th' 

 in the' lowest sulphuJet of the same quantity ot naetah Now the 

 lowest sulphuret of mercury contains, according ^P Grn^^"^^^^ 

 sulphm + 100 metal. Hence the protoxide ot meicar> mu.t 

 rontiin 8-2 -=-2 =4*1 oxygen + 100 metal. . 



"Siom, as quoted b/Berzel.us, found the P-to-de com- 

 posed of KX) metal + 3-99 oxygen, and ^^^ P^'";^'^^^^ P^J'^^ 

 metal + 7-99 oxygen. Hence we may take 4 tor tiie oxygen m 

 the protoxide, and 8 for that in the peroxide ; and the atom ot 

 mercury will be represented by 25, as 4 : 100 :: i : -•:>■ 



[To be continued.) 



