﻿286 
  JRayleigh 
  and 
  Ramsay 
  — 
  Argon, 
  a 
  New 
  

  

  was 
  transferred, 
  and 
  after 
  treatment 
  with 
  alkaline 
  pyrogallate 
  

   to 
  remove 
  oxygen 
  measured 
  3*3 
  CC 
  . 
  If 
  atmospheric 
  nitrogen 
  

   had 
  been 
  employed, 
  the 
  final 
  residue 
  should 
  have 
  been 
  about 
  

   30 
  cc 
  . 
  Of 
  the 
  3-3 
  cc 
  actually 
  left, 
  a 
  part 
  is 
  accounted 
  for 
  by 
  an 
  

   accident, 
  and 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  experiment 
  is 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  argon 
  

   is 
  not 
  formed 
  by 
  sparking 
  a 
  mixture 
  of 
  oxygen 
  and 
  chemical 
  

   nitrogen. 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  second 
  experiment 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  kind 
  5660 
  cc 
  of 
  nitrogen 
  

   from 
  ammonium 
  nitrite 
  was 
  treated 
  with 
  oxygen. 
  The 
  final 
  

   residue 
  was 
  3 
  # 
  5 
  CC 
  , 
  and 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  consist 
  mainly 
  of 
  argon. 
  

  

  The 
  source 
  of 
  the 
  residual 
  argon 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  sought 
  in 
  the 
  

   water 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  manipulation 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  quantities 
  of 
  gas 
  

   (6 
  liters 
  of 
  nitrogen 
  and 
  11 
  liters 
  of 
  oxygen) 
  employed. 
  When 
  

   carbonic 
  acid 
  was 
  collected 
  in 
  a 
  similar 
  manner 
  and 
  subse- 
  

   quently 
  absorbed 
  by 
  potash, 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  have 
  acquired 
  a 
  

   contamination 
  consistent 
  with 
  this 
  explanation. 
  

  

  Negative 
  experiments 
  were 
  also 
  carried 
  out, 
  absorbing 
  nitro- 
  

   gen 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  magnesium. 
  In 
  one 
  instance 
  3 
  liters 
  of 
  

   nitrogen 
  prepared 
  from 
  ammonium 
  chloride 
  and 
  bleaching- 
  

   powder 
  was 
  reduced 
  in 
  volume 
  to 
  4'5 
  CC 
  , 
  and 
  on 
  sparking 
  with 
  

   oxygen 
  its 
  volume 
  was 
  further 
  reduced 
  to 
  about 
  3 
  CC 
  . 
  The 
  

   residue 
  appeared 
  to 
  consist 
  of 
  argon. 
  Another 
  experiment, 
  in 
  

   which 
  15 
  liters 
  of 
  nitrogen 
  from 
  ammonium 
  nitrite 
  was 
  

   absorbed, 
  gave 
  a 
  final 
  residue 
  of 
  3*5 
  CC 
  . 
  Atmospheric 
  nitrogen,, 
  

   in 
  the 
  latter 
  case, 
  would 
  have 
  yielded 
  150 
  cc 
  , 
  hence 
  less 
  than 
  

   ^th 
  of 
  the 
  normal 
  quantity 
  was 
  obtained. 
  It 
  should 
  be 
  men- 
  

   tioned 
  that 
  leakage 
  occurred 
  at 
  one 
  stage, 
  by 
  which 
  perhaps 
  

   200 
  cc 
  of 
  air 
  entered 
  the 
  apparatus 
  ; 
  and, 
  besides, 
  the 
  nitrogen 
  

   was 
  collected 
  over 
  water 
  from 
  which 
  it 
  doubtless 
  acquired 
  some 
  

   argon. 
  Quantitative 
  negative 
  experiments 
  of 
  this 
  nature 
  are 
  

   exceedingly 
  difficult, 
  and 
  require 
  a 
  long 
  time 
  to 
  carry 
  them 
  to 
  

   a 
  successful 
  conclusion. 
  

  

  VIII. 
  Separation 
  of 
  Argon 
  o?i 
  a 
  Large 
  Scale. 
  

  

  To 
  prepare 
  argon 
  on 
  a 
  large 
  scale, 
  air 
  is 
  freed 
  from 
  oxygen 
  

   by 
  means 
  of 
  red-hot 
  copper. 
  The 
  residue 
  is 
  then 
  passed 
  from 
  

   a 
  gas-holder 
  through 
  a 
  combustion-tube, 
  heated 
  in 
  a 
  furnace, 
  

   and 
  containing 
  copper, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  remove 
  all 
  traces 
  of 
  oxygen 
  ; 
  

   the 
  issuing 
  gas 
  is 
  then 
  dried 
  by 
  passage 
  over 
  soda-lime 
  and 
  

   phosphorus 
  pentoxide, 
  after 
  passage 
  through 
  a 
  small 
  |J~ 
  tuDe 
  

   containing 
  sulphuric 
  acid, 
  to 
  indicate 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  flow. 
  It 
  

   then 
  enters 
  a 
  combustion-tube 
  packed 
  tightly 
  with 
  magnesium 
  

   turnings, 
  and 
  heated 
  to 
  redness 
  in 
  a 
  second 
  furnace. 
  From 
  

   this 
  tube 
  it 
  passes 
  through 
  a 
  second 
  index-tube, 
  and 
  enters 
  a 
  

   small 
  gas 
  holder 
  capable 
  of 
  containing 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  liters. 
  A 
  single 
  

   tube 
  of 
  magnesium 
  will 
  absorb 
  from 
  7 
  to 
  8 
  liters 
  of 
  nitrogen. 
  

  

  