ACTION OF CHLORINE ON AMMONIA. 239 



If we admit the preceding reaction, we shall take 



As the initial condition J(6Br + 6H + 2N + 3Na 2 dilute) 

 Final condition ... |(6NaBr dissolved + 3H 2 + N 2 ) 



FIRST CYCLE. 



[6(H + Br) + water = 6HBr dilute] + 88- 5 (B) 



J[6HBr dilute + 3Na 2 dilute] + 41-1 (B) 



SECOND CYCLE. 

 N + H 3 + water = NH 3 dilute x 



Successive reactions of the bromine upon the soda and of the 

 hypobromite upon the ammonia, -f 106'8, whence we get 

 x = + 22-8 in place of +3515 or 31'5. The same experiment, 

 repeated with potash and with baryta, gave similar results. It 

 was proved, moreover, by collecting over mercury the nitrogen 

 set free, that the reaction differs little from the above equation ; 

 in fact, the volume of nitrogen given off amounted to about 

 nine- tenths of the theoretical value, a secondary phenomenon 1 

 having abstracted from the fundamental transformation a por- 

 tion of the bromine employed. 



Whatever hypothesis may be formed as to the missing tenth, 

 we cannot explain the difference between 3515 and 22'8. 



In other words, these experiments, which are very simple and 

 easily executed with the calorimeter, gave 12*35 Cal. more than 

 were indicated by the received numbers ; an excess which is too 

 great to be explained by any error in the experiments. How- 

 ever, even the heat of formation of the ammonia does not come 

 out with sufficient accuracy in these trials ; fearing, therefore, 

 some mistake in such an important question, the further study 

 of this subject was postponed. It was, however, recently 

 resumed, with the following results. 



4. It was first attempted to determine whether chlorine, in 

 the presence of dilute ammonia, really decomposes it without 

 heat, with the immediate liberation of a quantity of nitrogen 

 equal to the chlorine employed. The experiment is easily 

 made. We require merely to pass a known volume of chlorine 

 (displaced in a gasometer by a flow of concentrated sulphuric 

 acid) through diluted ammonia, taken at the surrounding- 

 temperature and enclosed in a small receiver, so as to collect 

 the gases given off. It was found in two experiments made 

 with an excess of ammonia (which is necessary in order to 

 avoid the formation of nitrogen chloride) 



Chlorine 140 cc., nitrogen 20'5 cc., instead of 467 cc. 

 243 32 81 



1 The formation of a small quantity of bromate ? 



