L1THIA AND LITHIUM. - 265 



curate. The fused carbonate he found a com- 

 pound of 



Carbonic acid 54-46 or 2-75 

 Lithia 45-54 - 2-2995 



100-00 



So that the atomic weight of lithia, by his analy- 

 sis of the sulphate, is 2*416, while by the analysis 

 of the carbonate it is only 22995- This dis- 

 cordancy would render it hazardous to employ 

 Gm elm's analysis for the determination of the 

 atomic weight of this alkali. 



Stromeyer's analysis is more recent than those 

 of the three above named chemists ; and it comes 

 nearer the truth than any of the others.* 100 

 parts of the crystals contain (according to him) 

 13 parts of water, and the anhydrous salt (cor- 

 recting the calculations) is a compound of 



Sulphuric acid 68*977 or 5 

 Lithia 31-023 - 2-2488 



100 



The water, when reduced to the atomic propor- 

 tions, is 1*083, or very nearly one atom. 



2. I exposed 8*375 grains of very carefully 

 prepared crystals of sulphate of lithia, to the 

 temperature of 600, in a platinum crucible, till 



* Untcrsuchungen, I. 4-36. 



