AZOTIC GAS. 



this, boils at a lower temperature. This is the 

 strength of the acid usually met with in com- 

 merce ; it contains exactly 60 per cent, of real 

 acid, and 40 per cent, of water. Acid, of the 

 specific gravity 1*3692, contains just half its 

 weight of water ; it boils at the temperature of 

 543. Acid of the specific gravity 1-3032, may 

 be considered as just the reciprocal of acid of 

 the specific gravity 1*4237, for it consists of 40 

 acid + 60 water ; whereas, the latter consists of 

 60 acid + 40 water. Its boiling point is 236, 

 or 1 2 lower than that of the acid, whose boiling 

 point is a maximum. These boiling points were 

 determined by Mr. Dalton. 



I shall now take a view of the remaining; com- Other com - 



pounds of 



pounds ot azote and oxygen ; these are protox- azote and 

 ide of azote, deutoxlde of azote, and nitrous add. * 

 The knowledge of the atomic weight of azote, 

 and the specific gravity of azotic gas, will enable 

 us to make out the composition of these com- 

 pounds without difficulty. 



1. Protoxide of azote, the nitrous oxide of Analysis of 



-rx 11 ...protoxide 



Davy, is usually obtained by exposing nitrate of of azote. 

 ammonia to a heat of about 400, or a little high- 

 er it is a colourless gas, having a sweetish 

 taste, and water absorbs about three fourths of 

 its volume of it. If you mix 100 volumes of 

 pure dry protoxide of azote, with 100 volumes 

 of dry hydrogen gas, and pass an electric spark 

 through the mixture, a detonation takes place, 



H 2 



