TABLE II.
Binary Proportions of OXYGENE and NITROGENE in NITRIC and NITROUS ACIDS.[40]
| 100 Parts | Oxygene | Nitrogene | Nitrogene | Oxygene | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitric Acid | c | 70,50 | 29,50 | 1 | 2,389 | |
| o | ||||||
| Bright yellow Nitrous | n | 70,10 | 29,90 | Proportions. | 1 | 2,344 |
| t | Nitrogene. | |||||
| Orange coloured | a | 69,63 | 30,37 | Unity. | 1 | 2,292 |
| i | ||||||
| Dark Green | n | 69,08 | 30,92 | 1 | 2,230 | |
XI. I have before mentioned that dilute nitric acids are incapable of dissolving so much nitrous gas in proportion to their quantities of true acid, as concentrated ones. During their absorption of it, they go through similar changes of color; 330 grains of nitric acid, of specific gravity 1,36, after 50 cubic inches of gas had been passed through it, became blue green, and of specific gravity 1,351. It had gained in weight but 3 grains; and when the nitrous gas was driven from it by heat into a water apparatus, but 7 cubic inches were collected.[41]
From the diminution of specific gravity of nitric acid by combination with nitrous gas, and from the smaller attraction of nitric acid for nitrous gas, in proportion as it is diluted, it is probable that the nitrated acids, in their combinations with water, do not contract so much as[42] nitric acids of the same specific gravities. The affinities resulting from the small attraction of nitrous gas for water, and its greater attraction for nitric acid, must be such as to lessen the affinity of nitric acid and water for each other.
Hence it would require an infinite number of experiments to ascertain the real quantities of acid, nitrous gas, and water, contained in the different diluted nitrous acids; and after these quantities were determined, they would probably have no important connection with the chemical arrangement. As yet, our instruments of experiment are not sufficiently exact to afford us the means of ascertaining the ratio in which the attraction of nitric acid[43] for water diminishes in its progress towards saturation.
The estimations in the following table, of the real quantities of nitric acid in solutions of different specific gravities, were deduced from experiments made in the manner described in section VI, except that the phial employed was longer, narrower, and graduated to half grains. The temperature, at the time of combination, was from 40° to 46°.
TABLE III.
Of the Quantities of True NITRIC ACID in solutions of different SPECIFIC GRAVITIES.
| 100 Parts Acid of specific gravity | True Acid[44] | Water | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,5040 | 91,55 | 8,45 | |
| 1,4475 | c | 80,39 | 19,61 |
| 1,4285 | o | 71,65 | 28,35 |
| 1,3906 | n | 62,96 | 37,04 |
| 1,3551 | t | 56,88 | 43,12 |
| 1,3186 | a | 52,03 | 47,97 |
| 1,3042 | i | 49,04 | 50,96 |
| 1,2831 | n | 46,03 | 53,97 |
| 1,2090 | 45,27 | 54,73 | |