GAS BATTERY. 269 



These quantities are too small to enable any satisfactory 

 inference to be deduced as to the equivalents of these gases 

 which contributed to electrolysis ; the more so as the rise of 

 liquid was not quite uniform, and the action due to solution 

 was so much greater than that due to electrolysis. 



I do not feel entitled to draw any other conclusion from 

 this experiment than that there was a very feeble voltaic cur- 

 rent produced by these gases ; both the remaining oxygen 

 and the olefiant gas were unaltered in character. 



Experiment n. Oxygen and carbonic oxide produced 

 notable effects upon the iodide, and slight symptoms of de- 

 composing water ; a few bubbles gathered upon the electrodes 

 of an interposed voltameter ; the effects continued ; and at 

 the expiration of fifteen days the following was the state of 

 the tubes in two cells, put aside as in the last experiment : 



Rise of liquid in cells of closed circuit, 

 In oxygen tubes . . o - i2 cubic inch. 

 In carbonic oxide tubes . 0*93 



Rise of liquid in tubes of detached pair, 

 In oxygen tubes . . 0*02 cubic inch. 

 In carbonic oxide tubes . 07 



Rise of liquid apparently due to voltaic action, 

 In oxygen tubes . . O'l cubic inch. 

 In carbonic oxide tubes . 0^23 



Before the battery was charged for this experiment the 

 carbonic oxide had been carefully freed from carbonic acid 

 by caustic potash. After action the liquid gave a slight pre- 

 cipitate with lime-water, showing that carbonic acid had been 

 produced by the action. In this experiment the rise was 

 more uniform in the different tubes than in the last, and the 

 action more decided. The results, although on a small scale, 

 appear more definite ; thus we get the proportion as I : 2*3 ; 

 and as the combining volumes of oxygen and carbonic oxide 

 are as one to two, if we add the local action due to the oxygen 

 of the air in solution, i to 2*3 is as near an approximation as 

 can be expected. Though much superior to olefiant gas, the 

 action of carbonic oxide is, however, very feeble when com- 

 pared with that of hydrogen. 



