MR. H. BRERETON BAKER ON COMBUSTION IN DRIED OXYGEN. 



was then heated until the phosphorus boiled. A faint glow appeared for an instant 

 and then vanished. 



Fig. 5. 



The india-rubber tube in connection with the pipette was then clamped. The 

 phosphorus tube thus closed was removed from the pipette. The air was squeezed 

 out of the free half-inch of india-rubber tubing, and a little water allowed to enter. 

 Brilliant luminosity at once flashed out, and without any heating the phosphorus burst 

 into a vivid white flame. 



Ordinary phosphorus therefore does not burn in dry oxygen, though its temperature 

 be raised to its boiling point (290). 



Combustion of Amorphous Phosphorus in Oxygen. 



This substance was one of the first experimented upon, and, though it was by no 

 means pure, it gave indications of a very different behaviour when heated in moist and 

 in dry oxygen. 



It was purified in the following way : Commercial amorphous phosphorus was 

 washed with water and dried by a current of air at 150 in a glass tube. One end of 

 the tube was then sealed and the other connected with a mercury pump. The tube 

 was exhausted and heated to 240. A large quantity of gas was given off. No less 

 than 75 c.c. were evolved from 5 grams of phosphorus. On allowing a bubble to 

 escape into the air it caught fire. It had a strong smell of phosphine. 



