224 IT. G. Mixter — Electrosynthesis. 



Nitric Oxide and Carbonic Oxide. 



Experiment 1. — Equal volumes of mixed nitric oxide and 

 carbonic oxide contracted r> cc and hydrogen and oxygen 3*8 CC . 



Experiment #. — A mixture of 6*5 C0 ol nitric oxide and 8 CC of 

 carbonic oxide left 8'(> c0 of gas when the electric discharge 

 caused no further contraction. 



Experiment ■>. — A solution of barium hydroxide used as an 

 absorbent became but slightly turbid when the glow discharge 

 acted on a mixture of nitric and carbonic oxide. 



These results show that the contraction of the mixed oxides 

 is about the same as that of nitric oxide, and that the glow dis- 

 charge acts chiefly on the nitric oxide in the mixture, also that 

 some carbonic oxide is oxidized. 



Molecular Changes. 

 The following table is based on the change in volumes 

 observed, and one volume of hydrogen and oxygen is con- 

 sidered to contain 100 molecules. 



Molecules 



Molecules of oxygen 



Gases used. reacting. Molecules oxidized. consumed. 



Hydrogen and oxygen 100 H 2 67 33 



Ammonia " 188 Nlf 3 88 72 



" " 179 " 89 77 



Methylamine " NH 2 CH 3 46 to 70 



Dimethylamine " NH(CH 3 ) 2 57 to 70 



Trimethylamine " 265 N(CH 3 ) 3 42 213 



Hydrogen and nitrous oxide, 112 H 2 56 



" nitric " Little if any hydrogen oxidized. 



Carbonic oxide and nitric oxide. Some carbonic oxide oxidized. 



Cyanogen is probably more rapidly oxidized than hydrogen, 

 but further work is needed to settle this point. It is probable 

 that more molecules of nitrous oxide are changed than of 

 hydrogen and oxygen combined. In the case of nitric oxide, 

 if we suppose that the glow discharge simply separates the 

 compound into its elements, we find that 80 molecules are 

 decomposed to 100 molecules of hydrogen and oxygen com- 

 bined. This supposition is equivalent to the assumption that 

 higher oxides are not formed by the direct combination of two 

 or three molecules of nitric oxide with separation of nitrogen. 

 It does not appear that the nature of the reaction can be deter- 

 mined by experiment. 



The glow discharge used is too feeble to oxidize nitrogen, 

 but when it causes the oxidation of nitrogenous compounds 

 the nitrogen is more or less oxidized. In conclusion it may 

 be stated that a mixture of carbon disulphide and oxygen at a 

 pressure of 138 mm was exploded by the feeble glow discharge ; 

 also that the synthesis of formic acid from carbonic oxide and 

 water vapor and from hydrogen and carbon dioxide was found 

 to be much slower than the synthesis of water. 



