374 COMPOSITION OE AMMONIA. 



V. 



Observations on the Composition of Ammonia; by 

 Mr. Berthollet, fun. * 



Oxigen sought 1 HE object of Mr. Berthollet was to search for the oxi- 

 for in ammonia. , . , ,. ., _ . . . 



gen, which, according to Mr. Davy, ammonia contains in 



the proportion of 20 per cent f . 



He repeated by more direct means the analysis made by 



Expansion of Mr. Davy. He ascertained the expansion of ammoniacal 



pelec n t r a ificL gaS S as ' when > from the effect of electric shocks repeated for a 

 ion, long time, its elements have resumed their natural elasti- 



t city. The analysis of the gaseous mixture resulting from 



this operation afterward showed the nature and proportion 

 of the substances composing it. The mean of a great num- 

 ber of experiments indicates, that, when ammonia is decom- 

 posed fey the electric fluid, its bulk increases in the ratio of 

 Consists of hi- 100 to 204 J $ and that the gas thus formed consists of 755 

 tro^enonly 11 " hidrogen, and 245 azot^ Calculating from the refractive 

 power of the gasses, Mr. Berthollet estimates, that 775 parts 

 of ammonia by weight, produced 776 of the two gasses ; 

 and that their proportions by weight were, hidrogen 18*87, 

 azot 8M3. 

 and »o oxigen, The following is his inference from his experiments, 

 ed in these *"*" Ammonia is composed of hidrogen and azot, and no oxigen 

 can be found in it, unless by some process yet unknown wc 

 should be able to extract oxigen from gasses, that have al- 

 ways been considered as pure azot and nitrogen §. 

 Ammonia de- The gas collected by decomposing ammonia in a red hot 

 heat'in*a dby tube of porcelain contains the same proportions of hidra- 

 lain tube. 



* Annales de Chimie. August, 1808, vol. lxvii, p. 218. 

 f " Seven or eight, at least; possibly more." See Phil. Trans;. 

 for 1808, p. 40; or Journal, vol.xx, p. 329. C. 



J This exceeds all Dr. Henry's proportions of increase except 

 one. Mr. B. too makes the proportion of hidrogen greater than 

 either Dr. Henry, or Mr. Dayy. See the preceding article. C. 



§ It would appear by Mr. Davy's experiments, see Journal, 

 vol. xxiii, p. 242. &c. that nitrogen is an oxide, if not hidrogen 

 likewise ; and these will be farther confirmed in that gentleman's 

 appendix to his former paper, which will be given next month. C. 



geu 



