This experiment must have convinced all the world of the truth of the discovery. Pray, if improper proportions of the gases were mixed and set fire to, what would be the result?
MRS. B.
Water would equally be formed, but there would be a residue of either one or other of the gases, because, as I have already told you, hydrogen and oxygen will combine only in the proportions requisite for the formation of water.
EMILY.
Look, Mrs. B., our experiment with the Voltaic battery ([Plate VIII.] fig. 2.) has made great progress; a quantity of gas has been formed in each tube, but in one of them there is twice as much gas as in the other.
MRS. B.
Yes; because, as I said before, water is composed of two volumes of hydrogen to one of oxygen—and if we should now mix these gases together and set fire to them by an electrical spark, both gases would entirely disappear, and a small quantity of water would be formed.
There is another curious effect produced by the combustion of hydrogen gas, which I shall show you, though I must acquaint you first, that I cannot well explain the cause of it. For this purpose, I must put some materials into our apparatus, in order to obtain a stream of hydrogen gas, just as we have done before. The process is already going on, and the gas is rushing through the tube—I shall now kindle it with the taper——
EMILY.
It burns exactly as it did before——What is the curious effect which you were mentioning?