DR. H. DEBUS OR THE CHEMICAL THEORY OF GUNPOWDER. 529 
oxide, nitrogen and sulphuretted hydrogen together form more than 98 per cent, of 
the exploded powder; accordingly, hydrogen, marsh gas, ammonic carbonate, potassic 
sulphocyanate and undecomposed saltpetre may, as non-essential products, be left 
out of consideration. 
Potassic carbonate, sulphate, hyposulphite, and sulphide contain very nearly the 
entire amount of potassium of the exploded powder. If, therefore, we add the number 
of molecules of these bodies and multiply the sum by two, we obtain the number of 
molecules of saltpetre in 1 grm. of powder. In order to compare the results of 
experiments made with the same or with different descriptions of gunpowder it is 
desirable to calculate these results, not, as is usually done, for the same quantity of 
powder, but for such quantities as contain equal amounts of saltpetre or oxygen. 
The products of Experiment XIX. contain 0’00730 atom of potassium and are 
derived from a weight of powder containing 0*0073 mol. of saltpetre. The same 
products contain 0*00189 mol. of K 3 C0 3 , hence : 
0*00730 : 0*00189 :: 16 : cc and a:=4*l4. 
And if the same mode of calculation is extended to the other products, we obtain 
4 *14K 3 C0 3 +1 *5 8K 2 S0 4 +13 *3C0 2 +8 *3 8 X 3 
+ l*90K 3 S 2 O 3 + 2*65CO + 0'08S 
d-0*37K 3 S 3 +0*5H,S 
and, from these numbers, the following composition of the F. G. powder, 
16KNO 3 +20*09C+6*70S 
+ 0-76N+ 1 * 0 H 
~f 5*690. 
By a similar calculation we obtain : 
Experiment LXXY. 
5*10K 3 CO 3 +13*08CO 2 +0*56H 3 S 
1*50K s SO 4 + 2-65CO 
0*89KoS 3 O 3 + 8 * 5 X 3 
0*48K 2 S 3 + 1*583 
[ 16KJN0 3 +20*830 
j 0*5N 3 + 6*38S 
4*780 
Experiment IV. 
4*75K 3 C0 3 +12*92CO 3 +0*80H 3 S 
1*74K 3 S0 4 + 3*03CO 
0*85K 3 S 3 O 3 + 8 * 6 N 2 + 1T1S 
0*65K 3 S 2 
16KNO 3 +20*7C 
r = 5 
6*65S + 
+ 1-60H 
0*6No 
j 
3 y 2 
