394 ZINC, CADMIUM, LEAD, &c. 



It will appear hereafter, that the 12 represents 

 the atomic weight of platinum. 14'07 must de- 

 note two atoms of cadmium 5 for the alloy con- 

 sists obviously of 1 atom of platinum, united to 

 2 atoms of cadjnium. The atom of cadmium, 

 deduced from this alloy, is 7'035. 

 Amalgam The amalgam of cadmium is composed of 



of cadmi- 

 um. 



Cadmium 21-7391 or 

 Mercury 78-2609 - 25 



100 



25 is the atomic weight of mercury, so that the 

 amalgam is a compound of 1 atom mercury, and 

 1 atom cadmium. The atomic weight of cad- 

 mium, deduced from this amalgam, is 6'944. 



The atom of cadmium, deduced from a mean 

 of these two alloys, is 6*9895 ; and if we deduce 

 the atomic weight of this metal from a mean of 

 these four sets of experiments of Stromeyer, 

 which is the most likely way to come at the truth, 

 we obtain 7*00085. Now, this approaches so very 

 near 7, that the most scrupulous chemist can- 

 not hesitate about adopting 7 as the true atomic 

 weight of this metal ; so that the experiments of 

 Stromeyer, even without mine, are sufficient to 

 establish that important point. 



Thus it appears that an atom of cadmium 

 weighs 7> and an atom of oxide of cadmium 8. 

 Sulphuret of cadmium, when digested in nitric 



