The elementary nature of chlorine / Papers by Humphry Davy (1809-1818).

  • Davy, Humphry, Sir, 1778-1829.
Date:
1902
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: The elementary nature of chlorine / Papers by Humphry Davy (1809-1818). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    From the proportions which may be gained in con- sidering the volumes of oxymuriatic gas absorbed by the different metals, in their relations to the quantity of oxygene which would be required to convert them into oxides, it would appear, that in the experiments to which I have referred, either one, two, or three proportions of oxymuriatic gas combine with one of metal, and con- sequently, from the composition of the muriates, it will be easy to obtain the numbers representing the proportions in which these metals may be conceived to enter into other compounds.* 5. General Conclusions and Observations, illustrated by Experiments. All the conclusions which I ventured to draw in my last communication to the Society, will, I trust, be found to be confirmed by the whole series of these new enquiries. Oxymuriatic gas combines with inflammable bodies, to form simple binary compounds; and in these cases, when it acts upon oxides, it either produces the expul- sion of their oxygene, or causes it to enter into new combinations. If it be said that the oxygene arises from the decom- position of the oxymuriatic gas, and not from the oxides, it may be asked, why it is always the quantity contained in the oxide; and why in some cases, as those of the * From the experiments detailed in the note in the preceding pages, it would appear that the number representing the proportion in which mercury combines must be about 200. That of silver, as would appear from the results, page 52, about 100. The numbers of other metals may be learnt from the data in the same page, but from what has been stated, these data cannot be considered as very correct.