W. G. Mixter — Electrosynthesis. 223 



reacted for nitrite. As it has been shown that nitrous oxide 

 undergoes little change in volume when subjected to the glow 

 discharge, we may consider the change in volume when hydro- 

 gen is present to be 



N 2 + H 2 = N 2 4-H 2 



and that 56 volumes of hydrogen were oxidized by 56 of 

 nitrous oxide. As the latter is endothermic it is remarkable 

 that it does not oxidize hydrogen as rapidly as free oxygen. 



Nitric Oxide. 

 When nitric oxide in a eudiometer containing a solution of 

 potassium hydroxide is subjected to the glow discharge the 

 volume of the gas contracts rapidly at first, then slowly until 

 the discharge causes no further change and nitrogen is left. In 

 the experiments there was one volume of the residual gas for 

 5, 4*96, 5*4, 5*3 and 4*88, a mean of 5*11 volumes of nitric 

 oxide taken. The change is according to the equation 



5NO = NO„ + N Q 0„ + N, 



10 vols. 2 vols. 



In three experiments for every 100 volumes of hydrogen 

 and oxygen combined 153, 160 and 167, an average of 160 

 volumes, disappeared ; allowing for the nitrogen set free, we 

 have 160xf=200 volumes of nitric oxide involved in the 

 change. Assuming that f of the nitric oxide is decomposed 

 into nitrogen and oxygen, the latter combining with nitric 

 oxide to form higher oxides, we have f of 200 = 80 volumes 

 of nitric oxide decomposed to 100 of hydrogen and oxygen 

 combined. It is highly probable that the glow discharge 

 changes nitric oxide directly into higher oxides. If so the 

 relative change caused by the electricity is greater than that 

 indicated by the calculation. 



Nitric Oxide and Hydrogen. 

 A mixture of equal volumes of nitric oxide and hydrogen 

 contracted in comparison with 100 volumes of hydrogen and 

 oxygen in two experiments respectively, 91 and 92 volumes. 

 This is about T \ of the contraction observed when nitric oxide 

 alone was used, and the results indicate that the hydrogen 

 present retarded the action by diluting the gas. The potas- 

 sium hydroxide in the eudiometer reacted for nitrite, showing 

 that hydrogen did not take up all of the oxygen of the nitric 

 oxide dissociated. This was to be expected, as nitric oxide com- 

 bines with free oxygen more readily than hydrogen at com- 

 mon temperatures. The experiments do not show that 

 hydrogen was oxidized. Assuming, however, that all of the 

 contraction in volume was due to the reaction NO + H 2 =N + 

 H 2 0, we find that nitric oxide does not oxidize hydrogen as 

 rapidly as does oxygen. 



