-
Articles/Ads
Article THE CHEMISTRY OF COMMON THINGS, ← Page 4 of 5 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Chemistry Of Common Things,
moments , so jbhat-it may be scorched but not take fire—a ring of charred paper will sheAv the action of the flame , while the space mside this ring will be untouched , thus proving that th & gases in the interior are not in a state of combustion , as thev have no hfeatins ; effect . If a piece of glass boused instead of the paper ,- it may be seen that the interior of the flame is not luminous .
The blue portion of the flame , at the bottom , is occasioned by the combustion of the hydrogen , the carbon not being separated at that part . If the edge of a' plate , or a piece of glass ^ beheld ih the upper part of the flame , it will be speedily covered with particles of charcoal , which is not the . case if it be held in the bliie part . Indeed , the
flame derives its brightness principally from the ignited carbon , or charcoal , which , it contains ; and in general the flames of gases are bright in proportion to the quantity of carbon they contain . For instance , - heavy carburetted hydrogen , or olefiant gas , contains twice as much carbon as coal gas , or light carburetted hydrogen , and the
ilame of the former is proportionately brighter . Thus all the principal features of the flame of a candle have been accounted for . Its constitution— -its form—the point—the dark spot * —the blue ball—the bright end of the wiek ~~ -4 he process of combustion . It only remains to resolve the last question- —what becomes of the matter consumed" ?
water is , as is well known , composed or the two gases , oxygen and hydrogen , combined in the proportion of eight parts , by weight , of oxygen with one part of hydrogen ; and when these gases are mixed in this proportion , and heat is applied , water , or its vapour , is formed ; and even when other relative parts are brought together , they have a tendency to combine in this proportion , and water is the result , the superfluous gas remaining uncomhined . Thus , in the case of the
combustioii oi hydrogen in a candle , there is a certain quantity ox hydrogen to be combined with oxygen , of which latter gaS there is an unlimited supply ; but the hydrogen naturally unites with eight times its weight of oxygen , a , nd forms watery vapour , which rises into the air . That water is formed , may be " shewn by holding an inverted glass vessel over the flame . The sides of the vessel will soon become a ti , i , i i . i ,
( tamp with the condensed steam . But we have said , that the candle contains-carbon as well as hydrogen—what becomes of this' { As hydrogen has a tendency to combine with oxygon in a certain fixed proportion , so does carbon , but differ- , ently as regards numbers . Every substance has a proportion in which , it will unite with oxygen . This is called its atomic weight , or equivalent in the oxygen ' scale / The equivalent of carbon in this scale is ,
b-otlks , and , when one equivalent oI carbon unites with two equivalents of oxygen , th ; :, t is , six parts of carbon to sixteen parts of oxygen , tlie compound , formed is ' carbonic acid . The products , therefore , of the combustion of a candle are carbonic acid and water . In . oil lamps , the process of combustion is the same , with the exception , of course , of the previous liquefaction . In . these lamps , the \ Vick is frequently of a hollow , cylindrical form , which , enables the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Chemistry Of Common Things,
moments , so jbhat-it may be scorched but not take fire—a ring of charred paper will sheAv the action of the flame , while the space mside this ring will be untouched , thus proving that th & gases in the interior are not in a state of combustion , as thev have no hfeatins ; effect . If a piece of glass boused instead of the paper ,- it may be seen that the interior of the flame is not luminous .
The blue portion of the flame , at the bottom , is occasioned by the combustion of the hydrogen , the carbon not being separated at that part . If the edge of a' plate , or a piece of glass ^ beheld ih the upper part of the flame , it will be speedily covered with particles of charcoal , which is not the . case if it be held in the bliie part . Indeed , the
flame derives its brightness principally from the ignited carbon , or charcoal , which , it contains ; and in general the flames of gases are bright in proportion to the quantity of carbon they contain . For instance , - heavy carburetted hydrogen , or olefiant gas , contains twice as much carbon as coal gas , or light carburetted hydrogen , and the
ilame of the former is proportionately brighter . Thus all the principal features of the flame of a candle have been accounted for . Its constitution— -its form—the point—the dark spot * —the blue ball—the bright end of the wiek ~~ -4 he process of combustion . It only remains to resolve the last question- —what becomes of the matter consumed" ?
water is , as is well known , composed or the two gases , oxygen and hydrogen , combined in the proportion of eight parts , by weight , of oxygen with one part of hydrogen ; and when these gases are mixed in this proportion , and heat is applied , water , or its vapour , is formed ; and even when other relative parts are brought together , they have a tendency to combine in this proportion , and water is the result , the superfluous gas remaining uncomhined . Thus , in the case of the
combustioii oi hydrogen in a candle , there is a certain quantity ox hydrogen to be combined with oxygen , of which latter gaS there is an unlimited supply ; but the hydrogen naturally unites with eight times its weight of oxygen , a , nd forms watery vapour , which rises into the air . That water is formed , may be " shewn by holding an inverted glass vessel over the flame . The sides of the vessel will soon become a ti , i , i i . i ,
( tamp with the condensed steam . But we have said , that the candle contains-carbon as well as hydrogen—what becomes of this' { As hydrogen has a tendency to combine with oxygon in a certain fixed proportion , so does carbon , but differ- , ently as regards numbers . Every substance has a proportion in which , it will unite with oxygen . This is called its atomic weight , or equivalent in the oxygen ' scale / The equivalent of carbon in this scale is ,
b-otlks , and , when one equivalent oI carbon unites with two equivalents of oxygen , th ; :, t is , six parts of carbon to sixteen parts of oxygen , tlie compound , formed is ' carbonic acid . The products , therefore , of the combustion of a candle are carbonic acid and water . In . oil lamps , the process of combustion is the same , with the exception , of course , of the previous liquefaction . In . these lamps , the \ Vick is frequently of a hollow , cylindrical form , which , enables the