Carbonic Oxide on Sodium-ethyle. 507 



with the first few drops of the aqueous distillate an oil distilled 

 over. 



The amount of oil yielded by a Winchester quart of carbonic 

 oxide and a charge of sodium-ethyle from 12 grins, of zinc- 

 ethyle and 1 grm. of sodium was about 1 grm. The residue in 

 the retort after the oil had been distilled off was examined and 

 found to be very alkaline. 



The product from a good many Winchester quarts of carbonic 

 oxide was employed in the following experiments. 



The oil, after being dried, was rectified and found to consist 

 essentially of two portions — one boiling at 100° to 110° C, and 

 the other at 150°, or a little higher. The portion with the lower 

 boiling-point was freed from the rest by careful fractionation. 

 Combustion of it gave these results : — 



I. -2076 grm. gave -5218 CO 2 and -2300 grm. H 2 0. 



II. -1029 grm. gave '2597 CO 2 and -1155 grm. H 2 0. 



Carbon . . 



I. 



. . 68-55 



11. 



68-83 



Hydrogen 



. . 12-31 



1247 



Oxygen . . 



. . 19-14 



18-70 



100-00 100-00 



Deducing the formula by the well-known method, the follow- 

 ing results are arrived at : — 



C . . . 68-55^-12= 5-71 h-M96 = 4-79 

 H . . . 12-31-- 1 =12-31 -^1196 = 10-30 

 O . . . 19\L4-f-16 = 1-196--1-196= 1-00 

 Therefore I. gives C = 4-79; H = 10'30; = 1-00. 



C . . . 68-83-f-12= 5-736-^-1-15= 4-988 

 H. . . 12-47h- 1 =12-47 --1-15 = 10-84 

 . . . 18-70--16= 1-150--1-15= 1-00 



Therefore II. gives C = 4-988; H = 10'84; = 1-00. 



From which it follows that the formula is C 5 H 10 O, which 



requires C 5 . . . . 60 69-77 



H 10 . . . 10 11-63 



.... 16 18-60 



86 100-00 



It will be observed that both analyses point decisively to C 5 , 

 but that, whilst I. requires H 10 , II. gives a result approximating 

 more nearly to H 11 than H 10 . The fact that the estimations of 

 hydrogen are usually in excess, and that H 11 would be in oppo- 

 sition to the law of saturation, fully justifies the selection of the 

 formula C 5 H 10 0. There is, moreover, as will presently appear, 

 a special reason why the hydrogen should be in excess. 



