IS8

PROOFS OF THE PROPERTIES OF OXIGEN GAS.

SECT. II.

EXPERIMENTAL PROOFS

OF

THE PROPERTIES OF OXIGEN GAS.

DECOMPOSITION OF OXIGEN GAS, BY BODIESDESTITUTE OF METALLIC PROPERTIES.

Experiment I.

Combustion of phosphorus in oxigen gas.

FILL a bell-glass or receiver with oxigen gas, confine it bymercury, and introduce a piece of phosphorus through the quick-silver which immediately will rise to the surface of it; then setfire to the phosphorus by means of a crooked heated iron wire,introduced so as to touch it without disturbing the vessel. Itwill burn with a very brilliant flame. A considerable quantity ofcaloric and light will be liberated, and the whole inside of theglass will be covered with a white flaky crust, which will befound to be phosphoric acid; and the mercury will have ascendedconsiderably.

Rationale. ..This experiment proves that a decomposition ofthe oxigen gas has taken place. The phosphorus at a certain de-gree of heat is capable of decomposing this gas; it attracts itsponderable basis the oxigen, and becomes converted into phos-phoric acid; the light and heat which kept the oxigen in a ga-zeous state, together with those of the phosphorus, are then dis-engaged in the form of fire.