CARBONIC ACID 137 



the gas pressure is one atmosphere. Accord- 

 ing to the law of Henry, however, the absorp- 

 tion of the gas is always proportional to its 



Table of Absorption Coefficients at 0° 



Oxygen 0.049 



Hydrogen 0.021 



Nitrogen 0.024 



Carbon monoxide 0.035 



Carbon dioxide 1.797 



Sulphurous oxide 79.79 



Ammonia 1299 



partial pressure in the atmosphere, and there- 

 fore the absorption coefficient measures the 

 ratio, after equilibrium has been attained, 

 between the concentration of a substance in 

 solution and in the gaseous state, no matter 

 what that concentration may be. 



The absorption coefficient is not constant 

 under all circumstances, and varies especially 

 with the temperature. 



2 



Table of Absorption Coefficients of CO ; 



Temperature Absorption Coefficient 



0° 1.797 



10° 1.185 



20° 0.901 



37.29° 0.563 



100° 0.244 



It will be seen from the tables that, differ- 

 ing from most gases, carbon dioxide has an 

 absorption coefficient nearly equal to one, and 



