AZ 0
AZ O
(
Acid percent, by
Acid percent, by
Specific
weight.
measure.
gravity.
point.
100
' 175?
1.75?
30° ?
82.7
134
1.62
100°
72,5
112
1.54
175°
68
102
1.50
210°
58.4
84.7
1.45
240°
54.4
77.2
1.42
248°
51.2
71.7
1.40
247°
44.3
59.8
1.33
242°
37.4
48.6
1.30
236°
32.3
40.7
1.26
232°
28.5
34. S
1.22
229°
25 4
30.5
1.20
22Cf
23
27.1
1.18
22 3°
21
24.6
1.17
221°
19.3
22.4
1.16
220
17.8
20.5
1.15
219°
16.6
18.9
1.14
219°
M. Gay Lussac/ in repeating Mr. Dalton’sexperiments on the different proportions ofoxygen absorbed by nitrous gas according tothe circumstances of the experiment, has en-deavoured to reduce all the definite combina-tions of azote and oxygen to very simple num-bers, estimating the gasses by measure.
Nitrous gas is composed of equal volumes ofazote and oxygen, which unite without con-densation ; and the author considers nitric acidas composed of 200 measures of nitrous gasand 100 measures of oxygen, or (what amountsto the same) it consists of 100 measures ofazote to 200 of oxygen. The intermediate termof saturation is that which constitutes nitrousacid qas, and which when absorbed by watergives the liquid nitrous acid, the acid part ofthe nitrites. The author finds, agreeably toMr. Dalton’s experiments, that the productionof this intermediate acid depends on the cir-cumstances of the experiment and the propor-tions of each gas employed. If 200 measuresof nitrous gas are put into a narrow tube overwater, and 200 measures of oxygen are added,or if this order is reversed, and the oxygenadded first, 300 measures will disappear and100. measures of oxygen will remain unaltered.The water that has absorbed these 300 mea-sures will be a solution of nitric acid, and withpotash will form common nitre. Thereforenitric acid contains 2 parts by measure of nitrousgas to one of oxygen. But if the oxygen benot in excess, if for example 100 measures of
71 )
gas, the entire absorption will be 400 measures,,and 100 measures of nitrous gas will remain.The water that has absorbed these 400 mea-sures will now be nitrous acid, and with potashwill form small needled crystals of nitrite ofpotash, which give out copious red fumes onthe addition of any strong acid. To make thisexperiment correctly it should be in a widevessel and without agitation, so that the waterin absorbing the nitrous acid gas may not alsoabsorb a portion of the residuary nitrous gas.Nitrous acid therefore is produced by ■ theunion of 300 measures of nitrous gas with 100of oxygen ; or (what amounts to the same] itconsists of 150 measures of azote to 250 ofoxygen. It is best made by dissolving nitrousacid gas in water, which becomes blue, green,and finally orange yellow, according to thestrength of the acid and the quantity of gas ab-sorbed. Hence it is that the orange yellowacid may be changed to the green, and the greento the blue, merely by proper dilution with wa-ter, which diminishes the relative strength ofthe acid in a given quantity.
The liquid nitrous acid is also made by pass-ing nitrous acid gas into liquid nitric acid,which then becomes blue, green, or yelloworange, according to the concentration of thenitric acid.
M. Gay Lussac gives the following estimateof the composition of the oxyds of azote, viz.
Nitrous oxyd consists of 100 measures ofazote with 50 measures of oxygen; or, by-weight, of 63.72 of azote and 56.28 oxygen.
Nitrous gas consits of equal measures ofazote and oxygen ; or, by weight, of 46.737 ofazote and 53.243 of oxygen.
Nitrous acid gas consists of 300 measures ofnitrous gas to 100 measures of oxygen ; or, byweight, of 34.507 of azote and 65.493 of oxy-
g en -_
Nitric acid consists of 100 measures of azote-to 200 measures of oxygen, or of 200 measures-of nitrous gas to 100. measures of oxygen ; or,by weight, of 30.512 of azote to 69.488 ofoxygen.
AZOTIZED OXYMURIATIC ACID, orAzotized Chlorine. (Acide Muiiatiqueoxiartote.)
Under this term we shall describe a new and'most remarkable compound of azote and oxy-muriatic acid, which appears, to be the mostviolently detonating substance hitherto known..The first notice of the fact of this discoverypublished in this country is (we believe), con-