118 AZOTIC GAS. 



temperature of the apartment, the residual gas, 

 which was pure azote, amounted to exactly 50 

 volumes,* the potassium had absorbed the oxy- 

 gen, which obviously constituted half the volume 

 of the original *gas. Now, since j a volume of 

 oxygen gas is equivalent to an atom, and 1 vol- 

 ume of azotic gas to an atom, it is evident, that 

 deutoxide of azote is a compound of 2 atoms 

 oxygen, and 1 atom azote ; consequently, its 

 atomic weight is 3*75. 

 its consti. 'phg specific gravity of this gas is the mean 



tution and J . 



weight. between the specific gravity or oxygen and azotic 

 gases, or 1/0416. For 



Sp. gr. of oxygen gas 1-11 11 

 Sp. gr. of azotic gas 0-9722 



2 ) 2-0833 



1 -04-16' = sp. gr. of deutoxide of azote. 



I took the specific gravity of this gas, prepared 

 with as much care, to secure its purity, as possi- 

 ble. The mean of three trials, differing from 

 each other only by unity in the fourth decimal 

 place, was 1-04096. The small difference be- 

 tween this result and the preceding, deduced 

 from theory, which does not exceed y^Wth part, 

 is probably to be ascribed to the presence of a 

 little azotic gas, with which it is extremely diffi- 



* Mem. d'Arcueil. II. 216. 

 9 



