284 Chemical Instruments and Operations. 



14. METHOD OF ASCERTAINING THE PROPORTIONS OF EIHY- 

 DROGURET OF CARBON AND CARBONIC OXIDE, IN A MIX- 

 TURE OF THOSE GASES, PROVIDED NO OTHER INFLAMMA- 

 BLE GAS BE PRESENT. BV FRANKLIN BACHE, M. D., &C- 

 &C. &C. 



I will here subjoin an excellent method of ascertaining the 

 proportions of bihydroguret of carbon and carbonic oxide, 

 in a mixture of those gases, which has been ingeniously and 

 correctly suggested by my friend Dr. Bache. 



" The proportion of carbonic oxide, in a mixture of this 

 gas and bihydroguret of carbon, may be calculated from the 

 quantity of oxygen consumed by them when exploded, in the 

 following manner. 



" If we suj)pose a gas to be all bihydroguret of carbon, it 

 will consume twice its volume of oxygen : if, on the other 

 hand, it be all carbonic oxide, it will require half its volume 

 for complete combustion. It must be evident, therefore, 

 that a mixture of these gases will consume a volume of oxy- 

 gen, intermediate between half the volume and twice the 

 volume of the mixture; and that whatever may be the vol- 

 uiue of the oxygen consumed, it will bear a constant propor- 

 tion to the carbonic oxide present. 



" Reasoning from the analysis of the pure bihydroguret, 

 which reqiures twice its volume for complete combustion, it 

 must be apparent, that the introduction of the least portion 

 of carbonic oxide will necessarily diminish the quantity of 

 the oxygen consumed. Now it will be found, that this dimi- 

 nution of the quantity of the oxygen required, bears to the 

 carbonic oxide present, the constant ratio of 3 to 2. Hence 

 we have this pro{)ortion : — 



" As 3 is to 2, 

 So is the deficit of oxygen above alluded to, to the carbonic 

 oxide present. 



"This mode of calculating the carbonic oxide in the mix- 

 ture supposed, may be expressed in an algebraic formula, as 

 follows : — 



" Let M = volume of the gaseous mixture, and 

 O = oxygen consumed. 



2 M — O X2 

 Then ^ = vol. of carbonic oxide present. 



And as carbonic oxide contains half its volume of oxygen, 

 then 



