60 URANIUM, ANTIMONY, CHROMIUM, & c . 



That molybdic acid is disengaged from potash 

 by sulphuric, nitric, muriatic, phosphoric, arse- 

 nic, and chromic acids ; but not by acetic, oxa- 

 lic, or tartaric acids. 2. That molybdates of 

 potash, soda, ammonia, lime, magnesia, cobalt, 

 and rhodium are soluble in water. 3. That the 

 molybdates of all the other bases mentioned in 

 the table are insoluble in water, or nearly so. 

 Atom of Q t Bucholz formed molybdous acid by tritu- 



raolybdous r 



rating in a mortar a mixture of 1 part metallic 

 molybdenum and 2 parts molybdic acid, with a 

 certain quantity of hot water, till the mixture as- 

 sumed a deep blue colour. I find that it is easily 

 formed by heating together a mixture of molyb- 

 dic and muriatic acids, and continuing the heat 

 till the whole muriatic acid is driven off. The 

 molybdous acid formed in this way has a dark 

 purple colour, but becomes of a fine indigo blue 

 when water is poured on it. This acid effer- 

 vesces with nitric acid, and is converted into 

 molybdic acid. From Bucholz's process for ob- 

 taining this acid, it is obvious that it is a com- 

 pound of 1 atom molybdenum and 2 atoms 

 oxygen ; consequently, its atomic weight must 

 be 8. 



Protoxide 4. No accurate experiments have been made 

 on the protoxide of molybdenum. My stock of 

 molybdenum was too small to enable me to en- 

 ter upon the investigation ; but, since the atomic 

 weight of molybdenum is known, and since it 



