1896.] A. Pedler — Action of Nitric Oxide on Alkalies. 547 



original volume of the gas, and in no case was the gas absorbed as a 

 whole, as would be required if the salt of the new acid were being 

 formed. Indeed in all cases, nitrogen monoxide was left, and this hence 

 showed that the potassium salt of the new acid was not formed. 



The following will represent two typical experiments of the kind 

 made : — 



2Sth Feb. 1895. (a) A thick combustion tube containing about 11 

 grams of freshly prepared soda lime, and approximately 50'4 

 c.c. nitric oxide, containing about 3°/ or f ree nitrogen, was 

 heated for 6 hours at 100-120° C, 18 hours at 200-210° C and 

 one hour at about 320° C. When cold it was opened under 

 mercury. The residual gas amounted to 152 c.c. of which 

 about 21 c.c. was found to be nitrogen, and the remainder 

 nitrogen monoxide, thus — 



50-4 x 3 

 Original vol. of NO ... 50-4 Tno~ = 48 ' 9 c - c - 



But as 2T c.c. of nitrogen was found at the end of the experiment, 

 therefore 2*1 c.c. — 1*5 c.c. or 0*6 c.c. of nitrogen must have been 

 formed by the further decomposition of nitrogen monoxide. 



.-. Vol. of NgO + N formed from NO = 15-2 c.c. -1-5 c.c. = 137 c.c. 



Vol. ofN 2 ... 15-2-2-l = 13Tc.c. 



48-9-13-7 35-2 

 .-. Contraction ... — — — = ^ = 072. 



or 72 per cent, of the gas had been absorbed, while theory requires 75 per 

 cent., the remaining 25 per cent, of the volume being nitrogen monoxide. 

 5th March, J895. (b) Caustic potash was used and the tube was 

 heated for 13 hours to 200° C. Out of 486 c.c, 28-3 c.c. of 

 gas remained behind. On treating with a concentrated solution 

 of ferrous sulphate only J 4'6 c.c. of what appeared to be pure 

 nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen remained. 



Original vol. of nitric oxide ... 48"6 ^— =471 c.c. pure NO. 



Vol. of unacted on nitric oxide ... =28*3 c.c. -14*6 c.c. = 137 c.c. 

 .*. Vol. of NO taking part in the 



reaction ... ... 47'] c.c-137 c.c. = 33-4 c.c. 



Vol. of nitrous oxide and nitrogen 



from nitric oxide ... 14'6— r5 = lbTc.c. 



334 -13-1 



Contraction ... — g^ vol. 



A contraction of 61 per cent, or nearly two-thirds of the volume. 

 In the second method the action was' observed in a silver boat 

 within an open tube heated in a combustion furnace or tube heater. 



