264 INFLAMMABLE GAS. 



Experiments the present state of chemical science does not admit of any 



andobserva- thing more precise ; for, dediicino; the proportion of carbon 



tionsonthein- . ** ^, V, . ., r j t •, 



flammable gas 'fom the carbonic: aci-:I tormed, 1 consider it as amounting 



from peat. to 0.28 of the weight of that gas. For the experiments of 

 Lavoisier and Smithson Tennant appear to me much more 

 precise than those of Morveau, which, indeed, are contra- 

 dicted by the more recent experiments of BerthoUet, and were 

 , not made in such a way as to be susceptible of very correct 

 results. 



As the gas employed in the preceding sets of experiments 

 differed a little in its specific gravity, we cannot take the mean 

 result of both. If we take the last set, we have 100 inches of 

 the gas equal in weight to 25 grains, consuming 105 inches of 

 oxygen, and producing 81.4 inches of carbonic acid. 



81.4 inches of oxygen formed carbonic acid 



23.6 went to the formation of water, 



and combined with about 47.2 inches of hydrogen, supposing 

 it in the state of gas. 



81.4 inches of carbonic acid contain of carbon 10.6 grs. 



47.2 inches of hydrogen weigh — 1 .2 



Total 11.8 

 Weight of 100 inches of the gas • — 25.02 



Deficiency — — • — 13.22 



These 13.22 grains we suppose to have been oxygen and 

 hydrogen present in the gas, and which combined to form 

 water during the combustion. But water contains very nearly 

 ]|-7lh of its weight of hydrogen. Hence, they are com- 

 posed of 



11.02 oxygen 

 2.20 hydrogen 



13.22 



These being added to the 11.8 grains formerly obtained, 

 give us, for the constituents of the gas from peat, 

 1 1 .02 oxygen 

 10.60 carbon 

 3.40 hydrogen 



25.02 



