ON THE COMPOSITION OF ALCOHOL. gg^ 



the bulk of the air in the receiver in proportion to the alco- 

 hol it contained, even after cooling. 



When the ingenious reasoning of LavoisitT is applied to Calculation fcr 

 the results of this experiment, we see, tliat 35| grs. of alco- thehidrogen, 

 hoi employed for their coinbustion 129*83 cubic inches of 

 oxigen gas, and formed 77'B7 cubic inches of carbonic acid 

 gas. The liquid residue of the combustion of the alcohol 

 was nearly pure water. Thus the oxigen gas I consunjed, 

 deducting the 77*8? cubic inches, that entered into the com- 

 position of the carbonic acid, was condensed by the hidro- 

 gen of the alcohol in the proportion that forms water. Con- 

 sequently 12^)'83 — 77'87=:51 '96 cubic inches of oxigen gas 

 must have condensed 103'9'2 of hidrogen gas, or double their 

 volume. 



If the weight of the carbon contained in the carbonic Calculation for 

 acid gas produced during the combustion be added to the the oxigen. 

 weight of the volume of hidrogen gas just mentioned, we 

 shall find, that the sum of these two elements amounts to 

 little more than half the weight of the alcohol consumed. 

 The weight deficient, or the other products of the analysis, 

 cannot exist in the residual gas, the weight and composition 

 of which are exactly known : it must therefore be in the 

 liquid residue, which 1 have said is nearly pure water, but 

 which I could not weigh, because it was dispersed in the ap- 

 paratus. That part of the hidrogen of the alcohol, which 

 did not combine with the oxigen added, combined therefore 

 with the oxigen contained in the liquor itself, to form a 

 quantity of water, which may be estimated by the deficiency 

 in weight. On making the calculation accurately, and re- 

 ducing the analysis to 100 parts of alcohol, we ^hall find 

 them to contain 



Carbon 36-890 



Hidrogen 9*365 



Oxigen and hidrogen in the 

 proportions that form water 53.745 



100. 

 Q 2 or. 



