ACETIC ACID. 131 



thus treated, it still retains nearly the eighth of 

 an atom of water.* 



4. Berzelius analyzed acetic acid by burning 

 a mixture of chloride of potash and anhydrous 

 acetate of lead in a glass tube, and collecting the 

 products. The water formed, and carbonic acid 

 gas collected, together with the known weight of 

 acid in 1*06 of acetate of lead employed, give us 

 the constituents of the acid. The acid in 1;06 

 of dry acetate of lead is 0-332 ; he obtained 0-18 

 of water, indicating O02 hydrogen ; and O574 

 carbonic acid, indicating 0*1 5 654 of carbon. 

 Thus the constituents of the acid were 



Hydrogen 0-02 or per cent. 6-0240 

 Carbon 0-15654 - 47-1506 



Oxygen 0-15546 - - 46-8254 



0-33200 100-0000 



Now, if we consider the constituents of this acid 

 to be 



2 atoms hydrogen 0-25 or 4 



4 atoms carbon . 3 48 



3, atoms oxygen .3 48 



6-25 100 



we have the atomic weight as determined in the 

 preceding part of this section ; while the consti- 

 tuents per cent, deviate very little from those of 



- Annals of Philosophy, V. 174. 

 12 



