ON NITROGEN AND AMMONIA. 



49 



Kven the coiisulerable excess of hidrogen, and deficiency 

 of nitrogen, in the processes in which the fusible substance 

 is distilled with a new quantity of potassium, page 451 *> 

 it is possible to refer to the larger quantity of moisture, 

 which must be absorbed hy the fu.sible substance from the 

 air, during the time occupied in attaching the potassium to 

 the tray, and likewise from the moisture adhering to the 

 crust of potash, which always forms upon the potassium, 

 during its exposure to air. 



These objections are the strongest that occur to me, But the qu«s- 

 against the mode of explaining the phenomena by suppos- tion still doubt- 

 ing nitrogen decomposed ia the operation ; but they can- 

 not be considered as decisive oa this complicated and ob- 

 scure question, and the opposite view may be easily de- 

 fended. 



Though I have already laid before the Society a number Farther erpe* 

 of experiments upon the decomposition of ammonia, yet I "fnentsou the 

 , ,, , . 1 •, «> 1 . 1 . , decomposiiion 



shall not hesitate to detail some farther operations, which of ammonia. 



have been conducted according to new vieyvs of the sub- 

 ject. 



I concluded from the loss of weight taking place in the 

 electrical analysis of ammonia, that water or oxigen was 

 probably separated in this operation ; but I was aware, that 

 objections might be made to this mode of accounting for the 

 phenomenon. 



The experiment of producing an amalgam from ammonia, 

 which regenerated volatile alkali, apparently by oxidation, 

 confirmed the notion of the existence of oxigen in this sub- 

 stance; at the same time it led to the suspicion, that of the 

 two gasses separated by electricity one, or perhaps both, 

 might contain metallic matter united to oxigen : and the 

 results of the distillation of the fusible substance from pot- 

 assium and ammonia, notwithstanding the objections I 

 have made, can perhaps be explained on such a supposi- 

 tion. 



I have made a number of experiments upon the decom- Method pf con- 

 position of considerable quantities of ammonia, both by ducting them. 

 Voltaic and common electricity ; and I have used an appa- 



• Journal, vol. XXV, p. 137. 

 Vol. XXVH—Sept, 1810, E ratus 



