408 ZINC, CADMIUM, LEAD, &c. 



tibly red hot. By this means, the acid was 

 driven off, leaving behind it the bismuth reduced 

 to the state of an oxide. It weighed exactly 10 

 grains, and consequently, the metal, when oxy- 

 dized, had combined with one-ninth of its weight 

 of oxygen. Hence, oxide of bismuth is com- 

 posed of 



Bismuth 9 



Oxygen 1 



10 



But 1 being the weight of an atom of oxygen, 

 it is obvious that 9 must be the atomic weight 

 of bismuth ; and the atomic weight of oxide of 

 bismuth is 10. 



This metal combines with only 1 atom of ox- 

 ygen, and forms only one oxide. 



chloride of 2. The chloride of bismuth may be formed 

 by mixing together bismuth in powder, with 

 corrosive sublimate in a glass tube, and exposing 

 the mixture to a heat, at first low, but gradually 

 raised to the boiling point of mercury, or a little 

 higher. The excess of corrosive sublimate and 

 the reduced mercury, are gradually volatilized, 

 leaving the chloride of bismuth in a state of 

 purity. It is a solid substance, having a granu- 

 lar texture, a greyish white colour, and a silky 

 lustre. I mixed 9 grains of pure bismuth in 

 powder, with 40 grains of corrosive sublimate 

 in a test tube. This test tube, with a cork fitted 



