52 HYDROGEy. 



capillary tube ; compress the gas, by making the 

 bell descend below the surface of the water in the 

 pneumatic trough ; then apply a lighted taper to 

 the upper extremity of the tube ; the gas will take 

 fire, and exhibit a candle, which will burn till all 

 the gas is exhausted. 



Artificial fire-works may be constructed by filling 

 bladders with hydrogen gas, and connecting them 

 with revolving jets, tubes, &c., bent in different 

 directions, and formed into various figures pierced 

 with holes of different sizes. The air which is 

 forced through these holes by pressing the blad- 

 ders, will, when inflamed, exhibit a curious fire- 

 work, without either noise or smoke. 



By the inflammable property of hydrogen gas, 

 and the effects of electricity, a curious lamp has 

 been invented by Volta, which, by turning a stop 

 cock only, may instantly be lighted, and that many 

 hundred times. 



Hydrogen gas burns more readily in proportion 

 as it is surrounded with a larger quantity of atmos- 

 pheric air. Hydrogen gas and atmospheric air, or, 

 what is better, oxygen gas, may be mixed together, 

 so that every particle of each gas shall be contigu- 

 ous to a particle of the other, in which case they 

 will burn with great rapidity. 



Into a strong bottle, capable of holding about 

 four ounces of water, put one part of hydrogen 

 gas and two of amospheric air. On applying a 

 lighted taper, the mixture will explode with a loud 

 report, and the inside of the bottle will become 

 moist. It will be prudent to wrap a handkerchief 

 round the bottle, to prevent it from doing any in- 

 jury if it should burst. 



The same experiment may be made with oxygen 

 gas, instead of atmospheric air, changing the pro- 



