﻿of 
  Water- 
  Vapour 
  by 
  Electric 
  Sparks. 
  99 
  

  

  the 
  spark-tube, 
  where, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  water-vapour 
  experiments, 
  it 
  

   divided 
  into 
  two 
  streams. 
  After 
  being 
  sparked, 
  the 
  gas 
  

   passed 
  through 
  the 
  absorber 
  L, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  carbon 
  dioxide 
  

   was 
  removed 
  by 
  concentrated 
  potash 
  solution. 
  The 
  residual 
  

   carbon 
  monoxide 
  and 
  oxygen 
  were 
  then 
  pumped 
  off 
  and 
  

   analysed 
  by 
  explosion. 
  

  

  The 
  quantity 
  of 
  electricity 
  passing 
  in 
  the 
  spark 
  was 
  again 
  

   measured 
  by 
  a 
  voltameter 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  circuit. 
  

  

  (Several 
  experiments 
  were 
  carried 
  out, 
  but 
  in 
  no 
  case 
  could 
  

   the 
  separation 
  o£ 
  the 
  carbon 
  monoxide 
  and 
  oxygen 
  be 
  detected, 
  

   for 
  the 
  gas 
  collected 
  from 
  the 
  bulb 
  G 
  and 
  from 
  H 
  and 
  K 
  

   always 
  contained 
  these 
  gases 
  in 
  the 
  proportion 
  to 
  form 
  carbon 
  

   dioxide. 
  The 
  rate 
  at 
  which 
  the 
  current 
  of 
  carbon 
  dioxide 
  

   passed 
  through 
  the 
  apparatus 
  was 
  varied 
  by 
  altering 
  the 
  

   diameter 
  of 
  the 
  capillary 
  tube 
  0, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  en- 
  

   tirely 
  without 
  effect 
  except 
  as 
  regards 
  the 
  total 
  amount 
  of 
  

   decomposition, 
  which 
  increased 
  as 
  the 
  stream 
  of 
  gas 
  became 
  

   faster. 
  

  

  Since 
  carbon 
  monoxide 
  and 
  oxygen 
  diffuse 
  at 
  practically 
  

   the 
  same 
  rate, 
  one 
  would 
  not 
  expect 
  to 
  find 
  any 
  separation 
  

   occurring 
  in 
  the 
  spark, 
  and 
  the 
  above 
  results 
  show 
  that 
  there 
  

   is 
  none. 
  

  

  The 
  next 
  series 
  of 
  experiments 
  consisted 
  of 
  a 
  repetition 
  of 
  

   those 
  carried 
  out 
  by 
  Chapman 
  and 
  Lidbury 
  on 
  the 
  effect 
  

   caused 
  by 
  the 
  position 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  stream 
  of 
  gas 
  entered 
  

   the 
  spark. 
  

  

  A 
  stream 
  of 
  carbon 
  dioxide 
  was 
  again 
  substituted 
  for 
  the 
  

   current 
  of 
  water-vapour. 
  

  

  The 
  gas 
  was 
  allowed 
  to 
  enter 
  the 
  spark-tube 
  at 
  either 
  the 
  

   anode 
  or 
  cathode, 
  or 
  at 
  any 
  intermediate 
  position, 
  and 
  the 
  

   size 
  and 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  bulbs 
  round 
  the 
  electrodes 
  were 
  also 
  

   greatly 
  varied, 
  but 
  in 
  every 
  experiment 
  the 
  products 
  of 
  de- 
  

   composition 
  consisted 
  of 
  carbon 
  monoxide 
  and 
  oxygen 
  in 
  

   combining 
  proportions. 
  

  

  No 
  separation 
  could 
  be 
  detected. 
  

  

  A 
  further 
  series 
  of 
  experiments 
  were 
  carried 
  out 
  in 
  

   order 
  to 
  study 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  passing 
  a 
  more 
  rapid 
  current 
  

   of 
  water- 
  vapour 
  through 
  one 
  end 
  of 
  a 
  spark-tube 
  than 
  

   through 
  the 
  other. 
  The 
  apparatus 
  employed 
  is 
  illustrated 
  

   in 
  fig. 
  4. 
  

  

  A 
  stream 
  of 
  water-vapour 
  passed 
  along 
  the 
  tube 
  B 
  and 
  

   divided, 
  one 
  portion 
  passing 
  through 
  the 
  bulb 
  A 
  to 
  a 
  condenser 
  

   and 
  pump, 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  passing 
  through 
  C 
  to 
  a 
  second 
  con- 
  

   denser 
  and 
  pump. 
  The 
  tube 
  from 
  A 
  to 
  C 
  through 
  which 
  the 
  

   spark 
  passed 
  had 
  a 
  bore 
  of 
  one 
  millimetre. 
  

  

  H2 
  

  

  