366 *&*■ METHOD OF ANALYSING AMMONIA. 



bera too remote from those, which have been already as- 

 signed, to be considered even as approximations to the 

 truth. The errour arises from the combination of oxigen, 

 during combustion, not only with the hidrogen, but 

 with the nitrogen of the alkali, the latter of which conse- 

 quently appears deficient, and the former proportionablyin 

 excess. 

 Proportion of Frequent repetitions of this combustion, with a considcr- 

 defective. aD * e excess of oxigen gas, continued to give a deficient pro- 



portion of nitrogen ; and as no accurate conclusions can be 

 drawn from experiments of this kind, I shall proceed to 

 those of the second class. 



If. ^Experiments, in rchich Ammonia was fired with a 

 deficient Proportion of oxigen Gas. 

 Ammonia de- Sixty-three measures of ammonia were exploded over mer- 

 rSdenc^f cury wi4h 33 of oxi S en § as containing one of nitrogen. The 

 oxigen. total 96, when fired by an electric spark, were diminished 



to .57 measures, which were not contracted any farther by 

 successive agitation with water, and with sulphuret of lime. 

 The whole of the ammonia, therefore, was decomposed ; 

 and all the oxigen had entered into combination with the 

 hidrogen of the alkali. The residuary 57 measures were 

 mingled with 40 measures of the same oxigen gas, and 

 detonated by an electric spark ; after which the total, 97, 

 were reduced to 60. The diminution, therefore, was 37 

 measures; and as two thirds of this number may beascribed 

 to the condensation of hidrogen gas, the residuary 57 must 

 have been composed of 24*66 hidrogen, and 32*34 nitrogen. 

 The oxigen expended, also, was 32 in the first combustion, 

 + 12-33 in the second == 44*33; and this number, being 

 doubled, gives 88*66 for the whole hidrogen saturated, sup- 

 posing it to be in the state of hidrogen gas. But from the 

 above quantity of nitrogen (32*34 measures) we are to 

 deduct one measure, with which the 33 measures of oxigen 

 were contaminated; and the remainder 31*34 shows the 

 number of measures of nitrogen, resulting from 63 measures 

 of ammonia. The total amount of gasses obtained is 31*34 

 -j~ 88-66 = 120; and the proportion of the hidrogen by 

 Tolume to that of the nitrogen, as 73*88 to 26-12. 



