NATURE AND DECOMPOSITION OF THE FIXED ALKALIS. ^J^ 



action of the water was not so intense, but tha.t the hidro- 

 gen gas could be wholly collected. 



i shall give an account of the most accurate experimentfl 

 made on thti decomposition of water by the bases of potash 

 and soda. 



In, an experiment on the basis of potash conducted with Experiment, 

 every attention that I could pay to the minutije of the ope- 

 rations, hidrogea gas, equal in volume to 298 grains of 

 mercury, was dibengaged by the action of -03 of a grain of 

 the basis of potash, which had been amalgamated with about 

 3 grains of meicury. The thernjometer at the end of the 

 process indicated a temperature of oG'' Fahrenheit, and 

 the barometer an atmospheric pressure equal to 29"0 

 inches. 



Now this quantity of hidrogen* would require for its 

 Combustion a volume of oxigen gas about equal to that oc- 

 cupied by 154*9 grains of mercury, which gives the weight 

 of oxigen required to saturate the -08 of a grain of the basis 

 of potash at the mean temperature and pressure nearly '0151 

 of a grains. And -08 + 'OlSl r= -0951 : "08 : : 100 : 84'i 

 nearly. 



And according to these indications 100 parts of potash Cave 84 "base 

 consist of about 84 basis and l6 oxigen. *" ^^ ^''S^'*- 



In an experiment on the decomposition of water by the Experiment 



basis of soda, the mercury in the barometer standing at ^^'! "^*^^ 



30*4 inches, and in the thermometer at 52^ Fahrenheit, the 



•volume of hidrogen gas evolved by the action of '054 of a 



grain of basis equalled that of 32C grains of quicksilver. Now 



this at the mean temperature and pressure would require 



for its conversion into water, -0172 of oxigen, and -054 + 



•0172 zz '0712 : -054 : : 100 : 76 nearly; and according to 



these indications, 100 parts of soda consist of nearly 76 ba* ^^"If^ Tetase 

 . * •' to 24 oxigeu. 



sis, and 24 oxigen. 



In another experiment made with very great care, '052 Another expo- 

 of the basis of soda were used; the mercury in the baro- 

 meter was at 299 inches, and that in the thermometer at 

 58° Fahrenheit. The volume of hidrogen evolved was equal 

 to that of 302 grains of mercury ; which would demand for 



* ii^seGrches Chem. and Phil. p?ge 287. 



its 



