462 GOLD, PLATINUM, PALLADIUM, &c. 



weight of the metallic rhodium obtained in this 

 experiment was 19'1 grains. 



From this preliminary experiment it appears, 

 that 26*07 grains of yellow oxide of rhodium 

 contain 19'1 grains of metallic rhodium, and 

 consequently, 6 '97 grains of oxygen : therefore, 

 yellow oxide of rhodium is a compound of 



Rhodium 1 9-1 or 5-486 

 Oxygen 6*97 - 2 



I was induced to infer from this experiment, 

 that the atomic weight of rhodium is 5'5 ; and 

 that the yellow oxide is a compound of 1 atom 

 of rhodium, and 2 atoms of oxygen ; and con- 

 sequently weighs 7*5. 



2. 28'625 grains of the crystals of soda-mu- 

 riate of rhodium were put into a small green 

 glass retort, and exposed to a heat which was 

 gradually raised to an incipient redness, and 

 kept up a considerable time in order to dissipate 

 completely the aqueous vapours which are dis- 

 engaged from the salt by the heat. This ex- 

 periment cannot be made in a metallic vessel 

 without disengaging some muriatic acid, and re- 

 ducing a portion of the rhodium to the metallic 

 state ; but I have kept the salt in a low red heat 

 for upwards of an hour in a green glass retort, 

 and found it still perfectly soluble in water with 

 the usual dark red colour, and consequently, 

 still retaining the whole of its acid. The loss of 



