NATURE AND DECOMPOSITION OF THE FILLED ALKALIS. QQ^i 



|II. Theory of the Decomposition of the fixed Alkalis; their 

 Composition, and Production. 



As in all decompositions of compound substances, which Oxigen always 

 I had previously examined, at the same time that combus- ["^^^ T^-fy^ 

 tible bases were developed at the negative surface in the suiface. 

 electrical circuit, oxigen was produced, and evolved or car- 

 ried into combination at the positive surface, it was reason- 

 able to conclude, that this substaince was generated in a 

 similar manner by the electrical action upon the alkalis ; 

 and a nunioer of experiments made above mercury, with 

 the apparatus for excluding external air, proved that this 

 was the case. 



When solid potash, or soda in its conducting state, was This the case ' 

 included in glass tubes furnished with electrified platina .T"** *^*® *^^^" 

 wires, the new substances were generated at the negative 

 surfaces; the gas given out at the other surface proved by 

 the most delicate examination to be pure oxigen ; and un* 

 less an excess of water was present, no gas was e.olved froni 

 the negative surface. 



In the synthetical experiments, a perfect coincidence like- Confirmed by 

 wige will be found. synthesis. 



I mentioned, that the metallic lustre of the substance Base of potash 



from potash immediately became destroyed in the atmo->?-°''^°"^,'^1** 

 ■ , -, , . ,. , * . ^, . -into potash in 



sphere, aiid that a white crust toriped upon it. 1 his crugt the air. 



I soon found to be pure potash, which immediately deli-. 



quesced, and new quantines were formed, which in theJTi 



turn attracted moisture from the atmosphere, till the whole 



globule disappeared, and assumed the form of a saturated 



solution of poiasli *, ■■ ■ 



When globules were placed in appropriate tubes contain- Theba^escon- 



,. , V , verted into al- 



]|ng corn iuon air or oxigen gas conhned by mercury, an ab- kaliby oxigen. 



* Water likewise is decomposed in the process. We shall hereafter Water deconi» 

 see, that the bases of the fixed alkalis act upon this subuance with posed in the 

 greater cneigy than any other known bodies. The minute theory of the P^cess. 

 oxidation of tiie bases of the alkalis in the free air is this -.-T-oxigen gas 

 is fir^t attracted by tiiem, and alkali formed. This alkali speedily ab- 

 sorbs v, at er. This water is again decomposed. Hence, duiing tho con- 

 yersioii of a globule into alkaline solution, there is a cotistant and rapid 

 dJiengagemeiit of small quaaiuies of gas. 



sorption 



