﻿'Ionization 
  in 
  various 
  Gases. 
  883 
  

  

  Carbon 
  monoxide. 
  — 
  Prepared 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  strong 
  

   sulphuric 
  acid 
  on 
  sodium 
  formate. 
  The 
  vessel 
  containing 
  

   the 
  salt 
  -^vas 
  evacuated 
  and 
  the 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  dropped 
  in 
  

   through 
  a 
  tap-funnel. 
  The 
  gas 
  was 
  passed 
  slowly 
  through 
  a 
  

   tube 
  packed 
  with 
  moist 
  caustic 
  potash, 
  and 
  was 
  kept 
  for 
  

   several 
  hours 
  in 
  contact 
  with 
  phosphorus 
  pentoxide. 
  Two 
  

   sets 
  of 
  determinations 
  were 
  made, 
  the 
  first 
  with 
  a 
  mercury 
  

   manometer, 
  the 
  second 
  with 
  the 
  improved 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  

   manometer. 
  For 
  the 
  reason 
  already 
  referred 
  to 
  the 
  results 
  

   of 
  the 
  second 
  set 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  preferred 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  first. 
  

   Probably 
  the 
  number 
  1*00 
  represents 
  the 
  relative 
  ionization 
  

   in 
  CO 
  to 
  within 
  an 
  error 
  of 
  about 
  one 
  per 
  cent. 
  

  

  Nitric 
  oxide. 
  — 
  Prepared 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  strong 
  H2SO4 
  

   on 
  a 
  pasty 
  mass 
  composed 
  of 
  about 
  four 
  parts 
  of 
  pure 
  

   crystallized 
  FeSO^ 
  and 
  one 
  of 
  KNO3 
  with 
  a 
  little 
  water. 
  

   The 
  gas 
  was 
  collected 
  over 
  a 
  weak 
  solution 
  of 
  KOH 
  and 
  

   when 
  required 
  was 
  passed 
  very 
  slowly 
  first 
  through 
  concen- 
  

   trated 
  H2SO4 
  and 
  then 
  through 
  a 
  20 
  cm. 
  tube 
  packed 
  with 
  

   P2O5. 
  Two 
  sets 
  of 
  determinations 
  were 
  made 
  with 
  concordant 
  

   results. 
  

  

  1 
  he 
  Paraffin 
  Group, 
  

   Methane. 
  — 
  Prepared 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  zinc-copper 
  couple 
  

   on 
  an 
  alcoholic 
  solution 
  of 
  methyl 
  iodide. 
  The 
  gas 
  was 
  

   passed 
  in 
  succession 
  through 
  an 
  alcoholic 
  solution 
  of 
  KOH 
  

   and 
  through 
  concentrated 
  H2SO4, 
  being 
  finally 
  dried 
  over 
  

   P2O5. 
  Two 
  sets 
  of 
  measurements 
  were 
  taken. 
  In 
  the 
  second 
  

   an 
  attempt 
  to 
  purify 
  the 
  gas 
  still 
  further 
  by 
  fractionation 
  

   with 
  liquid 
  air 
  was 
  only 
  partially 
  successful, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  

   the 
  considerable 
  vapour 
  pressure 
  of 
  CH^ 
  at 
  the 
  temperature 
  

   of 
  boiling 
  liquid 
  air. 
  A 
  sufficient 
  quantity 
  of 
  the 
  fractionated 
  

   gas 
  was 
  obtained 
  for 
  one 
  determination. 
  The 
  number 
  found 
  

   in 
  the 
  second 
  was 
  slightly 
  greater 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  set 
  of 
  

   measurements. 
  

  

  Ethane. 
  — 
  Two 
  sets 
  of 
  measurements 
  were 
  taken, 
  and 
  dif- 
  

   ferent 
  methods 
  were 
  employed 
  for 
  preparing 
  the 
  gas. 
  For 
  

   the 
  first 
  set 
  the 
  ethane 
  was 
  obtained 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  o£ 
  the 
  

   zinc-copper 
  couple 
  on 
  an 
  alcoholic 
  solution 
  of 
  ethyl 
  iodide 
  ; 
  

   for 
  the 
  second 
  a 
  solution 
  of 
  potassium 
  acetate 
  was 
  electro- 
  

   lysed, 
  the 
  resulting 
  mixture 
  of 
  ethane 
  and 
  carbon 
  dioxide 
  

   being 
  passed 
  through 
  a 
  solution 
  of 
  KOH 
  to 
  remove 
  the 
  latter 
  

   gas. 
  The 
  ethane 
  in 
  both 
  cases 
  was 
  further 
  purified 
  by 
  frac- 
  

   tionation, 
  care 
  being 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  (electro- 
  

   lytic) 
  sample 
  to 
  keep 
  back 
  higher 
  hydrocarbons. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  

   difference 
  of 
  nearly 
  two 
  per 
  cent, 
  between 
  the 
  mean 
  results 
  

   of 
  the 
  two 
  sets. 
  , 
  This 
  is 
  probably 
  to 
  be 
  attributed 
  to 
  the 
  

   presence 
  of 
  higher 
  hydrocarbons 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  sample, 
  so 
  that 
  

   the 
  second 
  value 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  preferred. 
  

  

  