﻿62 
  Scientific 
  Intelligence. 
  

  

  SCIENTIFIC 
  INTELLIGENCE. 
  

  

  I. 
  Chemistry 
  and 
  Physics. 
  

  

  1. 
  On 
  the 
  Use 
  of 
  the 
  Method 
  of 
  Limiting 
  Density 
  in 
  recalcu- 
  

   lating 
  Atomic 
  masses. 
  — 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  shown 
  by 
  D. 
  Bekthelot 
  that 
  

   the 
  molecular 
  masses 
  of 
  gases 
  are 
  proportional 
  to 
  their 
  densities 
  

   at 
  infinitely 
  small 
  pressures 
  and 
  hence 
  that 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  calcu- 
  

   lated 
  from 
  data 
  derived 
  from 
  compression. 
  Results 
  thus 
  

   obtained 
  for 
  the 
  atomic 
  masses 
  of 
  hydrogen, 
  nitrogen 
  and 
  carbon, 
  

   as 
  calculated 
  from 
  the 
  limiting 
  density 
  of 
  their 
  oxides, 
  are 
  in 
  good 
  

   agreement 
  with 
  those 
  obtained 
  by 
  chemical 
  methods. 
  More 
  

   recent 
  results 
  give 
  for 
  carbon 
  12*0025 
  from 
  acetylene, 
  12*000 
  from 
  

   carbon 
  dioxide 
  and 
  12*007 
  from 
  carbon 
  monoxide 
  ; 
  the 
  most 
  prob- 
  

   able 
  value 
  being 
  12*005. 
  For 
  nitrogen 
  14*000 
  from 
  nitrous 
  oxide, 
  

   the 
  probable 
  value 
  being 
  14*005. 
  For 
  argon, 
  from 
  Rayleigh's 
  

   values, 
  molecular 
  mass 
  39882. 
  For 
  chlorine 
  35*479 
  from 
  hydro- 
  

   gen 
  chloride, 
  identical 
  with 
  Stas's 
  value 
  if 
  107*912 
  be 
  accepted 
  for 
  

   silver. 
  For 
  sulphur, 
  32*046 
  from 
  sulphur 
  dioxide, 
  Stas's 
  result 
  

   being 
  32*045. 
  It 
  would 
  appear, 
  therefore, 
  that 
  the 
  physical 
  

   method 
  as 
  devised 
  by 
  the 
  author 
  is 
  capable 
  of 
  great 
  accuracy. 
  — 
  

   C. 
  B., 
  cxxvi, 
  1501-1504, 
  1898. 
  G. 
  F. 
  b. 
  

  

  2. 
  On 
  the 
  Newly 
  Discovered 
  gases 
  and 
  their 
  Relation 
  to 
  the 
  

   Periodic 
  Law. 
  — 
  A 
  lecture 
  on 
  the 
  new 
  gases 
  of 
  the 
  atmosphere 
  

   has 
  been 
  delivered 
  by 
  Ramsay 
  before 
  the 
  German 
  Chemical 
  

   Society. 
  Deeming 
  it 
  possible 
  that 
  a 
  group 
  of 
  elements 
  may 
  exist 
  

   between 
  the 
  nitrogen 
  group 
  and 
  the 
  lithium 
  group 
  of 
  the 
  periodic 
  

   system, 
  such 
  as 
  He 
  = 
  4, 
  ? 
  = 
  20, 
  A 
  = 
  40, 
  the 
  author 
  examined 
  15 
  

   liters 
  of 
  argon, 
  liquefied 
  in 
  a 
  Dewar's 
  tube 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  boiling 
  

   liquid 
  air, 
  and 
  giving 
  25 
  cc 
  of 
  a 
  clear 
  liquid 
  having 
  some 
  solid 
  

   flakes 
  floating 
  in 
  it. 
  On 
  allowing 
  the 
  pressure 
  on 
  the 
  boiling 
  air 
  

   to 
  rise, 
  the 
  argon 
  boiled 
  off, 
  the 
  least 
  volatile 
  part 
  being 
  collected 
  

   apart. 
  This 
  he 
  calls 
  metargon, 
  though 
  it 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  obtained 
  

   free 
  from 
  argon, 
  and 
  has 
  been 
  but 
  little 
  studied. 
  The 
  first 
  most 
  

   volatile 
  fraction, 
  on 
  cooling 
  in 
  liquid 
  air, 
  only 
  partially 
  liquefied. 
  

   The 
  remaining 
  gas 
  contained 
  a 
  new 
  constituent 
  which 
  he 
  called 
  

   neon, 
  though 
  it 
  was 
  mixed 
  with 
  helium 
  and 
  argon. 
  Purified 
  as 
  

   far 
  as 
  possible 
  it 
  had 
  a 
  density 
  of 
  10*19, 
  and 
  a 
  refractive 
  power 
  of 
  

   0*388. 
  Its 
  spectrum 
  gave 
  lines 
  in 
  the 
  red 
  of 
  wave 
  length 
  6402, 
  

   6383, 
  6335,' 
  6227, 
  6218, 
  6164, 
  6143, 
  6096, 
  6074, 
  6030; 
  yellow 
  (D 
  B 
  ) 
  

   5853 
  ; 
  green 
  5401, 
  5341, 
  5331 
  ; 
  blue 
  4716, 
  4722, 
  4710, 
  4709, 
  4704. 
  

   If 
  1*67 
  is 
  the 
  ratio 
  of 
  its 
  specific 
  heats, 
  its 
  atomic 
  mass 
  is 
  20, 
  

   corresponding 
  to 
  the 
  missing 
  element 
  of 
  the 
  above 
  group. 
  On 
  

   collecting 
  separately 
  the 
  last 
  portions 
  of 
  gas 
  from 
  the 
  liquid 
  air 
  

   used 
  for 
  liquefying 
  the 
  argon, 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  have 
  a 
  density 
  of 
  

   22*5, 
  a 
  specific 
  heat 
  ratio 
  of 
  1*66, 
  and 
  to 
  give 
  spectrum 
  lines 
  in 
  

   the 
  red, 
  yellow 
  and 
  green 
  (5570). 
  This 
  gas 
  he 
  called 
  krypton. 
  

   Still 
  another 
  gas, 
  accompanying 
  argon 
  in 
  air, 
  obtained, 
  however, 
  

  

  