IOWA ACADEMY OP SCIENCE 
139 
and ethyl iodide in methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and their binary mixtures. 
With this idea in view, these reactions were carried out in the following 
alcoholic solutions: 
Ethyl alcohol — 100% 
Ethyl alcohol— 75%, Methyl alcohol— 25% 
Ethyl alcohol — 50%, Methyl alcohol — 50% 
Ethyl alcohol — 25%, Methyl alcohol — 75% 
Methyl alcohol — 100% 
MATERIALS AND SOLUTIONS. 
Ethyl Alcohol. Ethyl alcohol, after standing for several months over two 
changes of fresh quicklime, was fractionated and kept over anhydrous copper 
sulphate until ready for use. It was then fractionated, refluxed with about 30 
grams metallic calcium per liter for several hours, fractionated, and immed- 
iately refluxed with fused silver nitrate for two hours, and fractionated into 
dry glass stoppered bottles. A Glinsky distilling tube and soda lime or calcium 
chloride guard tubes were used. Alcohol thus prepared gave a conductivity 
of 2.4x10-" at 25° C., measured by the Kohlrausch method, using bridge, in- 
duction coil, and telephone receiver. The Wheatstone bridge wire was calibrated 
by the method of Strouhal and Barns. The Arrhenius cell, as improved by Jones 
and Bingham, was used. 
Methyl Alcohol. Kahlbaum’s best grade of methyl alcohol was further puri- 
fled in the same manner as the ethyl alcohol except that the copper sulphate 
treatment was omitted. The conductivity at 25° C. was found to be .8x10-®. 
The mixtures of the alcohols were made up by weight, accurate to one-tenth 
gram per liter. 
Silver Nitrate. Merck’s chemically pure silver nitrate was twice recrystallized 
from a saturated solution in conductivity water by quickly cooling from 60° 
to 20°. The product was washed with conductivity water, filtered dry as pos- 
sible on a Buchner funnel, dried in a. Toluol bath at 109° C. for several hours, 
and cooled in a dessicator, the work being done either at night or in the dark. 
Several unsatisfactory methods were previously tried, but this gave a product 
of small dry crystals, showing no sign of coloring. 
Ethyl Iodide. Kahlbaum’s best grade of ethyl iodide was washed with dilute 
sodium hydroxide and water, dried over calcium chloride for two weeks, de- 
canted, and fractionated. This, after nearly eleven months, has shown no 
tint of color. 
Sodium Chloride. This salt was precipated by passing pure hydrogen chloride 
gas into a saturated solution of Merck’s guaranteed chemically pure sodium 
chloride in conductivity water. The fine precipitate was filtered and washed 
on a Buchner funnel and dried in an electric oven at 110°. The portion used 
was heated, short of fusion, in a platinum crucible. 
Ammonium Sulphocyanate. Kahlbaum’s best grade of good clear crystals was 
used. 
Nitric Acid. The best obtainable nitric acid, specific gravity 1.42, and free 
from chlorides, iodides and lower oxides of nitrogen, was kept in the dark in 
small bottles filled to the neck. Five cubic centimeters were used in each 
titration. 
