1821.] Causes of Calorific Capacity, Latent Heat, Cfjc. 263 



electric spark, which may be considered an artificial means o« 

 more readily disposing the particles to unite. In other respects, 

 the phenomenon precisely follows the consequences of our 

 theory. Not only is there an increase of temperature, followed 

 afterwards by an increase of specific gravity, but, what is a still 

 more remarkable confirmation of our views, the " specific heat," 

 as it is called, of the product, carbonic acid gas, is less than that 

 of either of the component gases, when referred to equality of 

 weight, and greater when referred to equality of volume, just as 

 it should be according to our theory. 



If the particles of the new gas have a proper irregularity and 

 adaptation of figure, another union may take place ; and for like 

 reasons, perhaps, this may be followed by others until the parti- 

 cles become too massy for the body to continue in a gaseous 

 state, which will be productive of an immediate condensation 

 into a fluid or solid. In general, this condensation will, on 

 account of the aggregation of the particles, be accompanied with 

 an increase of temperature, which is usually the case in gaseous 

 condensations. But if there be a greater adaptation between 

 certain parts of the different aggregated particles than between 

 those parts and the rest of the particles to which they are 

 respectively united, no sooner will the gas be condensed than a 

 decomposition will take place, and the more unitable parts will 

 form new particles ; and still the body will remain in a solid or 

 fluid state. By this means it may happen that the number of 

 particles in the solid or fluid may, instead of being considerably 

 less, be, perhaps, greater, equal to, or but very triflingly less, than 

 the sum of the particles in the two gases previous to condensa- 

 tion. In such a case, the temperature of the solid or fluid result 

 would either be less, equal to, or but a very trifle greater than 

 that of the gases. Though with our views it is manifestly pos- 

 sible, there is no instance that I know of in which a fluid or solid 

 product from gaseous condensation has an inferiority of temper- 

 ature. We have, however, converse cases, in which aeriform 

 bodies are produced from solids with a considerable elevation of 

 temperature that amount to very little less than a direct proof. 

 Gunpowder is a well-known example of this kind. Therefore, if 

 we knew how to reduce the air which is derived from the explo- 

 sion of gunpowder to its solid state, we should have an instance 

 of the conversion of an air into a solid accompanied with a loss 

 of temperature. Such an experiment, though at present imprac- 

 ticable, is not impossible in idea; might it not, therefore, be 

 esteemed an elucidation of the accuracy of our general prin- 

 ciples? 



Instances likewise occur where the rise of temperature is so 

 little as to be comparatively insensible in respect of other similar 

 phenomena. For example, when ammoniacal gas and muriatic 

 acid gas are mixed together, they produce a solid, and yet a 



