1814.] On the Composition of Azote. 369 



H O H O HO 



Hence as 44-4 : 55-6 :: 28-54 : 35-76; and 28-54 + 35-76 s= 



Az O O O 



64-3; and 71-46 — 3»-76 = 35-7. Hence 100 parts of nitrous 

 oxide' are constituted of 64-3 azote and 35-7 oxygen. Now as 

 nitrous oxide contains only half as much oxygen as nitrous gas for 



Az O Az 



an equal volume of azote, it follows that as 60-656 : 33-672 :: 64-3 : 



55-7, proportions exactly corresponding to those just given. The 

 determinations of nitrous gas and nitrous oxides were the only two 

 instances where the results of experiment did not coincide with 

 those of calculution ; but these discrepancies have now disappeared 

 since you have determined that nitrous gas is not composed of equal 

 bulks of azote and oxygen, but of the volumes stated above. 



6. Azote. — I was led to the determination of 6 atoms of azote 

 + 1 atom of oxygen for an atom of azote by the results of my 

 experiments, and on application to the calculation of the nitric 

 compounds it was found to agree admirably with the proportions in 

 which chemists had ascertained them to exist. The constitution of 



H OHO 



azote v/ai thus deduced: 11-75 x 6 + 88-25 = 70-5 + 88-25 



H O Az' 



= 44-40<) + 55-591 = 100. Now Berzellus, by the most singular 

 and skilful calculation, deduces azote to be composed of 44*32 

 unknown inflammalile basis and 55-68 oxygen. So cuiious a coin- 

 cidence with the result just stated would leave but little doubt that 

 this inflammable base is hydrogen. Whatever scruples may arise 

 on the subject, 1 hope soon to be able to obviate. The weight of 



H O 



an atom of azote, then, will be 0-133 x 6 + 1 = 1-798, a 

 number differing only 0-005 from that determined by you in the 

 last number of your Annals. 



7. Ammonia. — It will be seen that my conclusions are at variance 

 with yours in the weight of an atom of ammonia. You conceive 

 it, as stated in your last, to be composed of 1 Az + I H, while I 

 have determined it to be 1 Az + 3 H. The reason for my having 



Az H 



fixed on this proportion is thus seen: as 1-798 : 0*133 X 3 :: 



Az H ... \ 



81 -95 ; 18-05 — the proportions obtained in the analysis of ammoi 

 Ilia, taking the means of the most accurate experiments of Davy, 

 Htnry, and berthoUet : this mean being 74-42 hydrogen and 

 25-58 azote in volume, we obtain for the proportional weights ot 

 100 parts, 82 azote and 18 hydrogen. Hence I conceive it decisive, 

 tliat an atom of ammonia is 1 A + 3 H, or 9 H 4- 1 O. Then 



n o H 



to determine its original elements, 1175 X 9 + 88-25 =r 105-74 



V01-. III. N° V. 2 A 



