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  Mayleigh 
  and 
  Ramsay 
  — 
  Argon, 
  a 
  New 
  

  

  had 
  previously 
  been 
  boiled, 
  so 
  as, 
  at 
  all 
  events 
  partially 
  to 
  

   expel 
  air. 
  The 
  nitrogen 
  passed 
  into 
  the 
  vacuous 
  globe 
  through 
  

   a 
  solution 
  of 
  potassium 
  hydroxide, 
  and 
  through 
  two 
  drying- 
  

   tubes, 
  one 
  containing 
  soda-lime, 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  phosphoric 
  anhy- 
  

   dride. 
  

  

  At 
  18-38° 
  C. 
  and 
  754*4 
  mm 
  pressure, 
  162*S43 
  CC 
  of 
  this 
  nitrogen 
  

   weighed 
  0*18963 
  gram. 
  Hence, 
  

  

  Weight 
  of 
  1 
  liter 
  at 
  0° 
  C. 
  and 
  160 
  mm 
  pressure 
  = 
  1*2521 
  gram. 
  

  

  The 
  mean 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  weight 
  of 
  1 
  liter 
  of 
  " 
  chemical 
  " 
  

   nitrogen 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  to 
  equal 
  1-2505. 
  It 
  is 
  therefore 
  seen 
  

   that 
  *' 
  chemical 
  " 
  nitrogen, 
  derived 
  from 
  " 
  atmospheric 
  " 
  nitro- 
  

   gen, 
  without 
  any 
  exposure 
  to 
  red-hot 
  copper, 
  possesses 
  the 
  

   usual 
  density. 
  

  

  Experiments 
  were 
  also 
  made, 
  which 
  had 
  for 
  their 
  object 
  to 
  

   prove 
  that 
  the 
  ammonia 
  produced 
  from 
  the 
  magnesium 
  nitride 
  

   is 
  identical 
  with 
  ordinary 
  ammonia, 
  and 
  contains 
  no 
  other 
  com- 
  

   pound 
  of 
  a 
  basic 
  character. 
  For 
  this 
  purpose 
  the 
  ammonia 
  

   was 
  converted 
  into 
  ammonium 
  chloride, 
  and 
  the 
  percentage 
  of 
  

   chlorine 
  determined 
  by 
  titration 
  with 
  a 
  solution 
  of 
  silver 
  nitrate 
  

   which 
  had 
  been 
  standardized 
  by 
  titrating 
  a 
  specimen 
  of 
  pure 
  

   sublimed 
  ammonium 
  chloride. 
  The 
  silver 
  solution 
  was 
  of 
  such 
  

   a 
  strength 
  that 
  l 
  cc 
  precipitated 
  the 
  chlorine 
  from 
  0-001701 
  

   gram 
  of 
  ammonium 
  chloride. 
  

  

  1. 
  Ammonium 
  chloride 
  from 
  orange-colored 
  sample 
  of 
  mag- 
  

   nesium 
  nitride 
  contained 
  66*35 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  chlorine. 
  

  

  2. 
  Ammonium 
  chloride 
  from 
  blackish 
  magnesium 
  nitride 
  con- 
  

   tained 
  66*35 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  chlorine. 
  

  

  3. 
  Ammonium 
  chloride 
  from 
  nitride 
  containing 
  a 
  large 
  amount 
  

   of 
  unattacked 
  magnesium 
  contained 
  66*30 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  chlorine. 
  

  

  Taking 
  for 
  the 
  atomic 
  weights 
  of 
  hydrogen 
  H 
  = 
  1*0032, 
  of 
  

   nitrogen 
  N 
  = 
  14*04, 
  and 
  of 
  chlorine 
  CI 
  = 
  35*46, 
  the 
  theoretical 
  

   amount 
  of 
  chlorine 
  in 
  ammonium 
  chloride 
  is 
  66*27 
  per 
  cent. 
  

  

  From 
  these 
  results 
  — 
  that 
  nitrogen 
  prepared 
  from 
  magnesium 
  

   nitride, 
  obtained 
  by 
  passing 
  "atmospheric" 
  nitrogen 
  over 
  red- 
  

   hot 
  magnesium 
  has 
  the 
  density 
  of 
  ''chemical" 
  nitrogen, 
  and 
  

   that 
  ammonium 
  chloride, 
  prepared 
  from 
  magnesium 
  nitride, 
  

   contains 
  practically 
  the 
  same 
  percentage 
  of 
  chlorine 
  as 
  pure 
  

   ammonium 
  chloride 
  — 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  concluded 
  that 
  red-hot 
  mag- 
  

   nesium 
  withdraws 
  from 
  ''atmospheric 
  nitrogen" 
  no 
  substance 
  

   other 
  than 
  nitrogen 
  capable 
  of 
  forming 
  a 
  basic 
  compound 
  with 
  

   hydrogen. 
  

  

  