E. W. Morley — Volumetric Composition of Water. 285 



of hydrogen to oxygen in water could then be computed. As 

 to the chemistry, consumption of oxygen by oxidation of mer- 

 cury or of fat, and the possible production of hydrogen dioxide 

 had to be considered. 



When mercury is oxidixed in the eudiometer, it is by the 

 oxidation of fine globules on the walls of the eudiometer. In 

 mixing the last third of the oxygen with hydrogen, it was 

 convenient to let a current of mercury run down through the 

 eudiometer; which covered its walls with mercury. In three 

 experiments, some of this mercury was oxidized ; two experi- 

 ments were lost. In the other, it was found possible to reduce 

 the oxidized mercury by a managed explosion, so that the 

 water produced was perfectly clear, as it was in all the other 

 experiments. 



There was no carbon in my gases before they were meas- 

 ured. In two experiments, when the eudiometer had not been 

 cleaned, carbon dioxide was produced. This must have come 

 from fat on the walls of the eudiometer forced down by the 

 current of mercury which mixed the oxygen and hydrogen. 

 Since the composition of the lubricant was well enough known, 

 it was possible to add to the oxygen used in producing carbon 

 dioxide, the amount used in the combustion of the hydrogen 

 of the fat, and so deduce the value of the ratio sought. As to 

 hydrogen dioxide, in the absence of sufficient knowledge of 

 what might take place in an excess of oxygen, hydrogen was 

 kept in excess till nearly the end of the series of explosions. 



To illustrate by an actual experiment, I will give all details 

 of experiment number 6. The first column gives the tempera- 

 tures, the second the readings of the scale of the eudiometer, 

 the third gives the reduced volume of gas deduced from each 

 measurement, and the fourth gives the adopted mean, with 

 the name of the gas measured. 



Temperature. 



Pressure. 



Vol 



lume reduced. 



Means. 



19-87 



688-75 





174 333 





19-89 



688-76 





174326 



174-33 hydrogen. 



20-26 



680-62 





169954 





20-29 



680-65 





169-947 



169-95 oxygen. 



19-44 



685-45 





172-910 





19-47 



685-47 





172-905 





1959 



• 67998 





172-920 



172*91 hydrogen. 



20-18 



137-92 





7-797 





20-54 



138 08 





7-805 



7 80 residue. 



20-73 



255-54 





25-271 





21-78 



256-02 





25-269 



25-27 residue an 



21-80 



18706 





13-829 





21-76 



187-05 





13 830 



13-83 residue 2. 



1. 



| (25-27-13 



;-83)= 



-1 62 cc , hydrogen in residue 1. 



2. 



7-80 c — 7-62^ 



= 0-1 8 CC , nitrogen in 



residue 1. 



3. 



0-18«--00 = 



= 0-18' 



;c , nitrogen in oxygen used. 





174-33 + 172 



•91- 



7-62 





4. 







— 9-nnn/i *i 



; ratio sought. 



169-95- 



-0-18 



— -. UUUi t 



