FIXED ALKALIES AND ALKALINE EARTHS. 



grey ; but we have no data to determine how 

 many atoms of oxygen it contains. 



SECT. V. 







OF THE ATOMIC WEIGHTS OF STRONTIAN AND 

 STRONTIUM. 



THE atomic weight of strontian is easily deter- 

 mined by experiments of a similar kind with 

 those related in the last section. It will be suf- 

 ficient if I describe one of them. 

 Atom of i. Nine grains of anhydrous sulphate of soda, 



strontian J 



determined, and ten grains of chloride of strontium, (that is, 

 muriate of strontian, exposed to a red heat,) were 

 dissolved in separate portions of water. These 

 two solutions being mixed together, a double 

 decomposition took place. Sulphate of strontian 

 precipitated abundantly, and the residual liquid 

 contained a quantity of common salt, which was 

 perfectly neutral, as no change was produced on 

 paper stained with litmus or cudbear. This 

 residual liquid being tested by muriate of bary- 

 tes, did not give any indication of the presence 

 of sulphuric acid. Nor was it rendered in the 

 least turbid by sulphate of soda, arseniate of 

 soda, or chromate of potash, even when very 

 much concentrated by evaporation. Conse- 

 quently, it contained no sensible quantity of 

 strontian ; the sulphate of strontian being care- 



