﻿THE 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  JOURNAL 
  OF 
  SCIENCE 
  

  

  [FOURTH 
  SERIES. 
  ] 
  

  

  d 
  

  

  

  c\ 
  

  

  u 
  

  

  a 
  

  

  Art. 
  I. 
  — 
  On 
  the 
  Products 
  of 
  the 
  Explosion 
  of 
  Acetylene; 
  

  

  by 
  W. 
  (or. 
  Mixter. 
  

  

  [Contributions 
  from 
  the 
  Sheffield 
  Laboratory 
  of 
  Yale 
  University.] 
  

  

  The 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  explosion 
  of 
  acetylene 
  has 
  been 
  continued 
  

   in 
  order 
  to 
  obtain 
  facts 
  for 
  or 
  against 
  the 
  hypothesis 
  advanced 
  

   by 
  the 
  writer," 
  that 
  a 
  sufficient 
  frequency 
  of 
  molecular 
  impacts 
  

   is 
  requisite 
  to 
  secure 
  spread 
  of 
  explosive 
  change 
  throughout 
  

   a 
  gas. 
  For 
  this 
  purpose 
  experiments 
  were 
  made 
  

   with 
  acetylene 
  at 
  high 
  temperatures 
  in 
  tubes 
  such 
  

   as 
  shown 
  in 
  fig. 
  1, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  part 
  c 
  is 
  about 
  

   20 
  cm 
  long 
  and 
  11 
  to 
  15 
  mm 
  internal 
  diameter. 
  

   The 
  tubes 
  were 
  filled 
  at 
  common 
  temperature 
  

   and 
  atmospheric 
  pressure 
  by 
  displacing 
  the 
  air 
  

   with 
  a 
  current 
  of 
  dry 
  acetylene, 
  mercury 
  serving 
  

   as 
  a 
  trap 
  in 
  the 
  bends 
  a 
  and 
  b. 
  Before 
  sealing, 
  

   the 
  acetylene 
  was 
  blown 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  open 
  ends, 
  

   as 
  the 
  carbon 
  separating 
  from 
  the 
  gas 
  when 
  

   heated 
  interferes 
  with 
  closing 
  the 
  tube. 
  The 
  

   mercury 
  in 
  b 
  was 
  shaken 
  into 
  a 
  and 
  the 
  appara- 
  

   tus 
  was 
  hung 
  in 
  a 
  Victor 
  Meyer 
  furnace 
  so 
  as 
  

   to 
  heat 
  all 
  of 
  it 
  below 
  a. 
  A 
  standard 
  ther- 
  

   mometer 
  was 
  also 
  hung 
  in 
  the 
  furnace 
  with 
  its 
  

   bulb 
  near 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  c. 
  The 
  reading 
  of 
  the 
  

   thermometer 
  was 
  not 
  corrected 
  for 
  the 
  thread 
  

   of 
  mercury 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  furnace, 
  as 
  it 
  accorded 
  

   fairly 
  with 
  the 
  temperature 
  given 
  by 
  an 
  air 
  ther- 
  

   mometer. 
  The 
  temperatures 
  stated 
  are 
  very 
  

   likely 
  subject 
  to 
  a 
  constant 
  error 
  of 
  several 
  

   degrees, 
  but 
  the 
  differences 
  in 
  temperature 
  are 
  

   sufficiently 
  accurate 
  for 
  the 
  work. 
  When 
  the 
  

   temperature 
  was 
  constant 
  for 
  some 
  minutes 
  

   strong 
  sparks 
  were 
  passed 
  for 
  an 
  instant 
  between 
  

  

  *Thia 
  Journal, 
  vii, 
  323, 
  1899. 
  

  

  Am. 
  Jour. 
  Sci. 
  — 
  Fourth 
  Series, 
  Vol. 
  IX, 
  No. 
  49. 
  — 
  January, 
  1900. 
  

  

  1 
  

  

  s 
  

  

  