Page:Experimental researches in chemistry and.djvu/179

164 When cooled to 0° it condensed again; and enclosed in this state in a tube of known capacity, and hermetically sealed up, the bulk of a given weight of the substance at common temperatures was ascertained. This compared with water gave the specific gravity of the liquid as 0.627 at 54-°. It is therefore among solids or liquids the lightest body known.

This gas or vapour when agitated with water is absorbed in small quantities. Alcohol dissolves it in large quantity; and a solution is obtained, which, upon the addition of water, effervesces, and a considerable quantity of the gas is liberated. The alcoholic solution has a peculiar taste, and is neutral to test papers.

Olive oil dissolves about six volumes of the gas.

Solution of alkali does not affect it; nor does muriatic acid.

Sulphuric acid condenses the gas in very large quantity, one volume of the acid condensing above 100 volumes of the vapour. Sometimes the condensation is perfect; at other times a small quantity of residual gas is left, which burns with a pale blue flame, and seems to be a product of too rapid action. Great heat is produced during the action; no sulphurous acid is formed; the acid is much blackened, has a peculiar odour, and upon dilution generally becomes turbid, but no gas is evolved. A permanent compound of the acid with carbon and hydrogen is produced, and enters as before mentioned into combination with bases.

A mixture of two volumes of this vapour with fourteen volumes of pure oxygen was made, and a portion detonated in a audiometer tube. 8.8 volumes of the mixture diminished by the spark to 5.7 volumes, and these by solution of potash to 1.4 volume, which were oxygen. Hence 7.4 volumes had been consumed, consisting of—

This is nearly as if one volume of the vapour or gas had