100 DR B. D. STEELE, DR. D. McINTOSH AND DE. E. H. ARCHIBALD 



Preliminary Experiments. 



It has been found, as a result of our preliminary experiments, that water and all 

 the ordinary metallic salts which were tried are insoluble, or very sparingly soluble, 

 in any of the solvents. 



Hydrogen chloride and bromide are freely soluble in hydrogen sulphide, and 

 hydrogen sulphide in hydrogen bromide. 



The salts of the organic ammonium bases are soluble in hydrogen chloride, bromide, 

 iodide, and sulphide, and the resulting solutions conduct the current. Certain 

 ammonium salts also yield very feebly conducting solutions. Two metallic salts, 

 namely, sodium acetate and potassium cyanide, were, at first, thought to be soluble, 

 as their addition to the solvent greatly increased its conductivity. This has since 

 been found to be due to decomposition of these salts into acetic acid and hydrocyanic 

 acid respectively. Both of these acids are soluble in the foregoing solvents. 



No substance has yet been found which will dissolve in phosphine and yield a 

 conducting solution. 



A few preliminary measurements of the conductivity were made, and in every case 

 the molecular conductivity diminished considerably with dilution, instead of increasing 

 as it does in aqueous solutions. The results of these measurements are given in 

 Part II., which contains a detailed account of the measurements of solubility and of 

 conductivity. 



After we had ascertained that the hydrides of chlorine, bromine, iodine, and 

 sulphur can act as conducting solvents, we proceeded to the measurement of the 

 following physical constants of each of the pure substances : 



(1) The vapour-pressure curve ; 



(2) The density and its temperature coefficient ; 



(3) The surface energy and its temperature coefficient ; 



(4) The viscosity and its temperature coefficient. 



The results of these measurements are described in the following pages. 



Preparation of Liquefied Gases. 



Hydrogen chloride was prepared by the action ol sulphuric acid on pure sodium 

 chloride. The gas was dried by passing it through two wash bottles containing 

 sulphuric acid, and afterwards through a tube containing phosphoric anhydride. It 

 was then led into a receiver which was maintained at -100, by means of carbon 

 dioxide and ether, under diminished pressure. At this temperature the gas liquefied 

 rapidly, forming a colourless mobile liquid. This was re-distilled before being used 

 for the measurements. 



