56 HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN. 



preceding experiment, and being condensed in the 

 worm S S, had fallen drop by drop into the flask 

 H ; but at the same time there had been disen- 

 gaged a considerable quantity of gas, which escaped 

 through the tube K K, and was collected in a pro- 

 per apparatus. When the operation was finished, 

 there was found nothing in the tube E F but a few 

 ashes, and the twenty-eight grains of charcoal had 

 totally disappeared. 



The gases disengaged were found to weigh alto- 

 gether 113.7 grains. There were found two dif- 

 ferent kinds of gas, viz. 114 cubic inches of 

 carbonic acid gas, weighing 100 grains, and 380 

 cubic inches of a very light gas, weighing 13.7 

 grains. This last gas took fire, on being applied 

 to a lighted body in contact with the air. In ex- 

 amining afterwards the weight of the water whicli 

 had passed into the flask, it was found less than 

 that in the retort A by 85.7 grains. In this ex- 

 periment, therefore, 85.7 grains of water and 28 

 grains of cliarcoal formed carbonic acid gas equal 

 to 100 grains, and a peculiar gas susceptible of in- 

 flammation, equal to 13.7 grains. To form 100 

 grains of carbonic acid gas, 72 grains of oxygen 

 must be united to 28 grains of charcoal or carbon. 

 The 28 grains of charcoal put into the glass-tube 

 EF, took, therefore, from the water, 72 grains of 

 oxygen, since there was formed carbonic acid equal 

 to 100 grains. It appears, then, that 85-7 grains 

 of water are composed of 72 grains of oxygen, and 

 13.7 grains of a substance forming the base of a 

 gas susceptible of inflammation. The following is 

 a proof of it. 



The apparatus being arranged as above, instead 

 of the 28 grains of charcoal, 274^ grains of thin 

 -shavings of iron, rolled up in a spiral form, were 



