YTTRIUM. 355 



YTTRIUM. 



All the regular determinations of the atomic weight of yttrium depend 

 upon analyses or syntheses of the sulphate. A series of analyses of the 

 oxalate, however, by Berlin,* is sometimes cited, and the data are as fol- 

 lows. In three experiments upon the salt Yt/C 2 4 ) 3 3H,0 the subjoined 

 percentages of oxide were found : 



45-70 

 45-^5 

 45-72 



Mean, 45.69, dz .0141 



Hence with = 15.879 and C = 11.920, 



Yt == 88.943. 



Ignoring the early work of Berzelius,f the determinations to be con- 

 sidered are those of Popp, Delafontaine, Bahr and Bunsen, Cleve, and 

 Jones. 



Popp t evidently worked with material not wholly free from earths of 

 higher molecular weight than yttria. The yttrium sulphate was dehy- 

 drated at 200 ; the sulphuric acid was then estimated as barium sul- 

 phate, and after the excess of barium in the filtrate had been removed 

 the yttrium was thrown down as oxalate and ignited to yield oxide- 

 The following are the weights given by Popp : 



Sulphate. BaSO. Y^O 3 . H. 2 O. 



1.1805 grm. *-3 l 45 g rm - -4742 grni. .255 grm. 



1.4295 1.593 " -5745 " -308 " 



.8455 " .9407 " .3392 " .1825 " 



1.045 " 1.1635 " .4195 " .2258 " 



Eliminating water, these figures give us for the percentages of Yt 2 3 in 

 Yt 2 (SOj 3 the values in column A. In column B I put the quantities of 

 Yt 2 3 proportional to 100 parts of BaS0 4 : 



A. B. 



51.237 36.075 



51.226 36.064 



51.161 36.058 



51-209 36.055 



Mean, 51.208, .on Mean, 36.063, .003 



From B, Yt = 101.54. The values in A will Be combined with similar 

 data from other experimenters. 



* Forhandlingar ved de Skaiidinaviske Naturforskeres, 8, 452. 1860. 



f lyehrbuch, V Aufl., 3, 1225. 



I Ann. Chem. Pharm., 131, 179. 1804. 



