Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-09-19
G0M VI MUNICATIoNS s
Written for the Spirit Of the Age.
Familiar Chemical Letters.
-REsPEcrTuLLY DEDICATED TO MISS LAURA MURPHY
ARTICLE v.

REsPEcrTuLLY DEDICATED TO MISS LAURA MURPHY
ARTICLE V.
Hydrogen, the bject which next comes
under our notice, was first duly examined
in pure state by Mr.. Cavendish, in 1866.
1t had previous to this date been confoun-
ded with several of its compounds under
the name of inaamable air. the term hy-
drogen was given toit by the French chem
istsin consequence Of its being one of the
elements of water to generate water be-
ing the true Specification of the word
This gas is a very important constituent of
vegetable matter. 1t possesses a special
affinity for oxygen, with which it unites
and forms water. The whole of the phe-
nomena of decay depend upon the exer-
else Of this affinity, and many of the pro-
cesses engaged in the nutrition of plants
originate in the attempt to crafty it
Hydrogen when in the state of gas is very
combustible, and is also the lightest body
known but it is never found in an isola-
ted condition. Hydrogen is contained in
water, and this fluid is the most common
combination in which it is presented Hy-
drogen of itself is not very useful to us,
but when combined with other substances,
it is to us Of the greatest utility; by it's
combination with oxygen, we have that
widely spread fluid, water by its combina-
tion with nitrogen, we have nitric acid and
ammonia ; by its combination with chlorine,
we obtain muriatic or hydrochloric acid,
and host of other important compounds
Hydrogen, as l have already stated, is
contained in water, and as this substance
is very widely diffused through nature, it
is always used as the source from which
this gas is obtained The ocean has very
aptly been called the great store-house of
hydrogen. Water is composed entirely of
oxygen and hydrogen chemically united in
the proportions Of Of the former to l OF
the latter And this is the source from
whence hydrogen is most generally obtain
cd; when required for experiment, all we
have to dois only to take asubstance which
has stronger affinity for the oxygen of
the water than the hydrogen has for this
purpose we generally use zinc or iron Let
us suppose for a moment that we have a
small glass vessel, say atumber, before us,
that into 1T we now place few pieces of
zinc, and upon this metal pour water aci-
dulated with about l-7th of its bulk with
sulphuric acid an action Immediately
takes place similar, apparently, to that We
witness when water is made to boil but
this action before us is not caused by hea
but by the escape of a gas eliminated by
the decomposition of the water, and thi
gas being lighter than water immediatel,
rushes to the topof that liquid and escapes
into the surrounding atmosphere this ga
is hydrogen. But how do you know, Mr.
Lignite, that this is hydrogen Very easi
ly; let us descend if you please into tn
vessel in which this action has taken plac
aud examine what remains Water, | hav
said, is composed entirely of oxygen an
hydrogen, but zinc having greater affini
ty or love for oxygen than hydrogen has
Immediately seizes that gas and this form
an oxide of zinc which in its turn unite
with the sulphurc acid and gives us
sulphate of the oxide of zinc, whilst tn
hydrogen being now free and fettered t
no companion makes It's escape from tn
top of the vessel Hydrogen can also b
prepared by passing by a current of elet
tricity through water the hydrogen be
ing generated at one end of the batter
and the oxygenat another. Another pre-
cess for its preparation is by forcing steal
through u porcelain tube containing iro
filings heated to red heat the oxyge
Of the steam unites with the iron filing
and forms oxide of iron, whilst the hydr
gen is liberated at the other end of tf
tube. Hydrogen like oxygen is inodoror
and colorless it differs from all the 9th,
elementary substances we have previous
noticed They were supporters of con
bustion, producing light and heat as
the experiment of the burning of phosph
rous in oxygen but hydrogen instead
being a supporter of combustion, is q COZ
bustible body itself Hydrogen is Il
lightest gas known, indeed it is the ligh
est form of matter with which we are a
quainted: in consequence of its extrer
lightness, it is difficult to determine
weight with accuracy by the common pr
cess, but the brilliant researches Of BC
zelius, Dulong and DIR. Prout, would le
US to infer that its specific gravity, COZ
pared with oxygen, is as l to l6:l0O c
bic inches, weighing only 2,l4S3 grain
and compared with air its specific gravi
would be as .0694 is to l. The low 81
ciiic gravity Of this gas is strikingly ill
trated by initiating with it balloon of oil
silk, which on being liberated immedia
ly rises in the air, its specific gravity
Ing inferior to that of the surrounding
mosphcre. Hydrogeni is inAammable; VIII
pure it burns quietly with pale Yellow
flame, but this flame produces a very hi
temperature, much higher indeed than
dinary flames; and here | would rema
that as a general fact, the temperature
tiame is the inverse Of its luminosity.
by the burning Of hydrogen, water is p
duced, and that is the only product of
combustion. Every substance that
hydrogen as one Of its constituents vie
water when ignited take, for example
piece Of coal and ignite it, holding owe,
atumbler perfectly dry; dew will be fou
10 be condensed in it, and if let rem
over this light much longer YOU will h,
thedew coalescing and forming large dro
this is pure water. This is an exceed
" delicate test for hydrogen, and is
way in which substance containing
drogen is analysed; for the oxygen of
air unites proportionally with the hy'
cen of the substance under examlnat