106 AZOTIC GAS. 



the precipitate had subsided, and left the super- 

 natant liquid quite clear, a few drops of it were 

 put into two separate watch glasses ; into the 

 one a little nitrate of silver was let fall, and into 

 the other a little common salt. The liquid was 

 not precipitated nor rendered opalescent by ei- 

 ther of these re-agents, showing, that it con- 

 tained neither muriatic acid nor oxide of silver. 



From this experiment we see, that the muriatic 

 acid in 8*625 grains of muriate of soda, just sa- 

 turates the oxide of silver in 21 '5 grains of nitrate 

 of silver. But 4-625 of muriatic acid require 

 just 14*75 of oxide of silver for saturation. 

 This is, of course, the quantity of oxide in 21*5 

 of fused nitrate of silver the remainder, a- 

 mounting to 6*75, must be nitric acid. Thus 

 we have found the composition of nitrate of sil- 

 ver exactly agreeing with our hypothesis, de- 

 monstrating that 6*75 is the atomic weight of 

 nitric acid. 



When the muriate of silver, obtained in the 

 preceding experiment, is washed, dried, and 

 fused, it is converted into chloride of silver; 

 consequently, 



4-625 muriatic acid become 4>'5 chlorine. 

 14-75 oxide of silver become 13-75 silver. 



18-25 



Hence, if it be collected without any loss, which 



