96 



ANALYTICAL EXPERIMENTS ON MURIATIC ACID. 



fteid. I have since carried on the same processes on a larger 

 scale, hut with precisely similar results. 

 It* action ea When potassium is introduced into muriatic acid gas, 



potassium. procured from muriate of ammonia and concentrated sul- 

 phuric acid, and freed from as much moifture as muriate of 

 lime is capable of attracting from it, it immediately becomes 

 covered with a white crust, it heats spontaneously, and by the 

 assistance of a lamp acquires in some parts the temperature 

 of ignition, but does not inflame. When the potassium and 

 the gas are in proper proportions, they both entirely disap- 

 pear; a white salt is formed, and a quantity of pure bidroi- 

 gen gas evolved, which equals about one third of the origi- 

 nal volume of the gas. 

 fcgrs. of potas- gy eight grains of potassium employed in this way, I ef- 

 e»b. inches of 1>e< ^ te( 3 tne absorption of nearly twenty-two cubical inches of 

 the gas. muriatic acid gas; and the quantity of hidrogen gas pro- 



duced was equal to more than eight cubical inches. 

 Hidrogen' The correspondence between the quantity of hidrogen 



sarae^opor- g enerate ^ m cases °f this kind, and by the action of potas- 

 tion as if water sium upon water ; combined with the effects of ignited char- 

 had been used. coa j U p 0n mur iatic acid gas, by which a quantity of inflam- 

 mable gas is produced equal to more than one third of its 

 volume; seemed to fhow, that the phenomena merely de- 

 pended upon moisture combined with the muriatic acid 

 gas*. 

 Farther proof To determine this point with more certainty however, ancj. 



that nothing to ascertain whether or no the appearance of the hidrogen 



hut water was 



decomposed. was wholly unconnected with the decomposition of the acid, 



I made two coh^u, at * e experiments on the quantity of 

 nrmriate of silver farnifhed by two equal quantities of muri- 

 atic acid, one of which had been converted into muriate of 

 pota(h by the action of potassium, and the other of which 

 had been absorbed by water; every care was taken to avoid 



* When the Voltaic spark is taken continuously, by means of points 

 Spark taken ■■ , , . ... • . . 



- raar : at : c ,. as of charcoal m muriatic acid gas over mercury, muriate of mercury is ra- 



.©•.-•r inercurv. pidly f| nr.cJ, a ( i.uiie of inflammable gas, equal to one third of the ori- 

 ginal volume of the muriatic acid gas appears, and the acid gas enters int* 

 combination with the oxide of mercury, so that water enough is present 

 in the experiment to form oxide sufficient to absorb the whole of the 



acid. ' ' 



sources 



