142 



AMMONIA. 



Table of Liquid Ammonia (continued). 



Ammoniacal gas combines directly with hydrated acids, forming a series of salts, 

 the constitution of which is peculiar, and must be here briefly discussed, that the 

 formulae hereafter employed in describing them may be understood. 



These compounds may be viewed as direct combinations of the ammonia with the 

 hydrated acids ; thus, the compound with 



Hydrochloric acid as the Hydrochlorate (NH 3 , HC1) (H 3 . HC1). 

 Hydrosulphuric acid Hydrosulphate (NH 8 , HS) (21STH 3 . H 2 S). 

 Sulphuric acid Hydrated sulphate (NH 3 ; HO,S0 3 ) (21STH 3 . H 2 SO 4 ). 



Nitric acid Hydrated nitrate (NH 3 ; HO,NO S ) (WH 3 . HWO 3 ). 



Carbonic acid Hydrated carbonate (NH 3 ; HO, CO 2 ). (2WH 3 , H 2 O. CO 2 ). 



But the close analogy of these compounds, in all their properties, to the corre- 

 sponding salts of potash and soda has led chemists to the assumption of the exist- 

 ence of a group of elements possessing the characters of a metal, of a basyl or 

 hypothetical metallic radical, called ammonium (NH 4 ), in these salts ; which theory 

 of their constitution brings out the resemblance to the potash and soda salts more 

 clearly, thus : 



Chloride contains And chloride contains 



of potassium . KC1. (XC1) of ammonium . . NH 4 C1 (WH 4 C1) 



sulphide . KS. (X 2 S) sulphide . . NH 4 S [(KTH 4 ), 2 SJ. 



sulphate of potassa KO.SO 3 (K 2 SO 4 ) sulphate of ammonia NH 4 0,S0 3 [(HTH 4 ) 2 SO 4 ]. 

 nitrate . KO, NO* (KWO*) nitrate . NH'O.NO* (WH^O 3 ). 



carbonate , KO, CO 2 (K 2 CO 3 ) carbonate . NH 4 0,C0 2 [(NH 4 ) 2 CO a ], 



Although it may be objected to this view that the metal ammonium is not known, 

 yet a curious metallic compound of this metal with mercury has been obtained ; and, 



