^{j OV NITROGEN AND AT.IMONIA. 



by the intense heat and decomposing energy of A'^oltaic 

 electricity. 



Fxpriment. I had an apparatus made, by which the Voltaic circuit 

 could be completed in nitrogen gas, conOued by mercury, 

 by menns of potassium and-platina. The potassium, in the 

 quantity of about two or three grains, was placed in a cup 

 of plntina, and by contact with a v/ire of platina it could be 

 fused and sublimed in the gas. The quantity of nitrogen 

 was usually about a cubical inch. The battery employed 

 wa3 always in full action for these experiments, and con- 

 sisted of one thousand double plates. The phenomena were 

 very brilliant ; as soon as the contact with the potassium 

 was nsade, there was always a bright light, so intense as to 

 be painful to the eye ; the platina became white hot; the 

 potassium rose in vapour; and by increasing the distance 

 of the cup from the wire, the electricity passed through the 

 vapour of the potassium, producing a most brilliant flame, 

 from half an inch to an inch and a quarter in length; and 

 the vapour seemed to combine with the platina, which was 

 thrown off in small globules in a state of fusion, producing 

 an appearance similar to that produced by the combustion 

 of iron in oxigen gas. 



Results. In all trials of this kind hidrogen was produced ; and in 



some of them there was a loss of nitrogen. This at first 

 seemed to lead to the inference, that nitrogen is decom- 

 pounded in the process; but I found, that, in proportion 

 as the potassium was introduced more free from a criijt of 

 potash, which would furnish water and consequently hidro- 

 gen in the experiment, so in proportion was there less of 

 this gas evolved ; and in a case in which the greatest pre- 

 cautions were taken, the quantity did not equal ^ of the 

 volume of gas, and there was no sensible quantity of nitro- 

 gen lost. 



The largest proportion of nitrogen, which disappeared in 

 any experiment, was -j^y of the quantity used; but in this 

 case the crust of potash was considerable, and a volume of 

 hidrogen, nearly equal to ^ of the nitrogen, was produced. 

 It cannot be said, that the nitrogen is not decomposed in 

 this operation ; but it seems much more likely, that the 

 slight loss is owing- to its combination with nascent hidro- 

 gen, 



