COMBUSTIBLE ACIDS. 



Soda .... 4 



Acetic acid . . . 6*25 



10-25 



The salt, after this treatment, was still neutral. 

 We see, therefore, that the true atomic weight of 

 acetic acid is 6*25 ; and the true constituents of 

 crystallized acetate of soda must be 



1 atom acetic acid 6-25 or per cent. 36*764 

 1 atom soda . 4 23-529 



6 atoms water 6-?5 - 39'706 



17 



And these numbers approach so near those of 

 Berzelius, that they may be said to confirm one 

 another. ^ 



Analysis of 2. Acetate of lead is a neutral salt, which can 

 lead, e be easily procured in beautiful crystals, and in a 

 state of the greatest purity. Hence, an accurate 

 analysis of it will furnish us with very good data 

 for determining the atomic weight of acetic acid. 

 Berzelius published an analysis of this salt a 

 good many years ago, which approaches very 

 near the truth, though not sufficiently so to give 

 the correct atomic weight of acetic acid. 



(1.) I followed his method of freeing the salt 

 of water, by placing it over a flat glass vessel 

 containing concentrated sulphuric acid in the 

 vacuum of an air-pump : 23'6&5 grains of the 



