CARBON. 



(1.) Three volumes of oxygen gas being ne- 

 cessary to consume one volume of olefiant gas, 

 and only two volumes of carbonic acid gas being 

 formed, it is obvious that only two volumes of 

 the oxygen gas were employed in forming car- 

 bonic acid ; the other volume of oxygen gas 

 must have been employed in forming water, and 

 it must have combined with a quantity of hydro- 

 gen, which, had it been in the gaseous state, and 

 uncombined, would have amounted to just two 

 volumes. The two volumes of carbonic acid 

 gas contain each a volume of carbon vapour. 



Thus it appears, that one volume of olefiant 

 gas is composed of two volumes of carbon va- 

 pour, and two volumes of hydrogen gas con- 

 densed^into one volume. Its specific gravity, 

 therefore, will be obtained by adding together 

 twice the specific gravity of carbon vapour, and 

 twice the specific gravity of hydrogen gas. 



Twice the sp. gr. of carbon vapour = 0-8333 

 Twice the sp. gr. of hydrogen gas = 0-1388 



0-9722 = 

 specific gravity of olefiant gas. 



Thus it appears that azotic gas, carbonic oxide 

 gas, and olefiant gas have the same specific 

 gravity. 



(2.) In the case of carbon vapour and hydro- 

 gen gas, a volume is equivalent to an atom ; so 

 that olefiant gas is a compound of two atoms 



K3 



