SODA AND SODIUM. 26 1 



soda is a compound of 1 atom sodium and 1 atom 

 oxygen ; and that an atom of sodium weighs 3. 

 JBerzelius tried to determine the quantity of 

 oxygen which converts a given weight of sodium 

 into soda, by the same method which he followed 

 in determining the composition of potash. The 

 result obtained was, that soda is composed of 



Sodium 100 or 2-896 

 Oxygen 34-52 - 1 







3-896 



This result deviates a little farther from the truth 

 than that of Gay-Lussac and Thenard. 



Sir H. Davy made a variety of experiments 

 with the same object in view, and drew as a con- 

 clusion, that soda is a compound of from J5 to 

 73 sodium, and from 25 to 27 oxygen. One 

 of his experiments gave him the composition of 

 soda as follows : 



Sodium 100 or 3 

 Oxygen 33^ 1 



Now, this result agrees exactly with the atomic 

 weight of soda, as determined in the first para- 

 graph of this section. 



There can be no doubt that the atom of sodi- 

 um weighs 3 and that soda is a compound of 



1 atom sodium and 1 atom of oxygen. 



R s 



