OF SODA. 



carbonic acid gas, amounted to 59 grains. This 

 loss is rather too high. The reason was, that 

 the effervescence was so violent, that a little 

 of the liquid was dissipated in drops before I 

 was able to prevent it ; but the following ex- 

 periment, in conjunction with the two preceding 

 ones, leaves no doubt respecting its constituents : 

 10*625 grains of the crystals were put into a glass 

 jar, water was poured over them, and 9 grains 

 of crystals of oxalic acid added to the liquid. 

 After the effervescence was at an end, the liquid 

 was heated to drive off the whole of the carbonic 

 acid gas. It was then examined, and found per- 

 fectly neutral ; for it did not in the least alter 

 the colour of cudbear or litmus paper. 



From this last experiment we see that 10*625 

 grains of the crystals contain 4 grains of soda- 

 From the first experiment it appears that, after 

 fusion, these 4 grains of soda still retained 2*75 

 grains (equivalent to 1 atom) of carbonic acid. 

 Now, 2*75 x 2 = 5*5 ; and, by the second ex- 

 periment, the carbonic acid in 10*625 grains of 

 the crystals was 5*9 grains. This exceeds 5-5 

 a little, for the reason already specified. Thus 

 the constituents of the salt are 



2 atoms carbonic acid 5 -5 



1 atom soda . 4 



1 atom water 1-125 



10-625 



