Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-07-04
The Wonders OF Hydrogen.

rate 1t from oxygen, with which il
unites to form water. This union is
formed in the proportion of one equiv.
alent, by weight, Of hydrogen, and
eight equivalents Of oxygen.
It will be seen, then, that water is
composed Of eight pats OF oxygen and
only one part of hydrogen. Now, to OBJ
tain pure hydrogen, we must separate
these. How shall we do it?
First, We must find some substance
that has more affinity for oxygen than
has hydrogen, SO as to induce the oxy-
gen to leave it. BY affinity" is meant
q disposition to unite with another
body. Various substances have this
greater affinity for oxygen. Thus,
leav, at the bottom of q stagnant pool
will, so to speak, attract the oxygen of
the water, and the hydrogen will be set
free, and collect in small bubbles on
the surface of tue leaf.
If now the leaves be stirred with o
rod, these bubbles will rise to the sur.
face, and can be collected in an inverted
tumbler or bottle, and retained by still
holding it in an inverted position. If
now lighted match be applied, the
hydrogen will be ignited at the surface
with slight explosion, and will con-
tinue to burn, but only at its surface,
where it is in contact with the air.
But the gas may be more easily OBJ
tanned, and in much larger quantity, by
making mixture of sulphuric acid and
water, in the proportion of about one
part of sulphuric acid and four parts,
by weight, of water.
Into this place either iron turnings
or zinc, and Immediately part of the
water will be decomposed the oxygen,
uniting with the metal, forming an
oxide, and the hydrogen rising in large
bubbles to the surface, where it can be
collected.
This remarkable substance was known
for many centuries, but it was only in
1776 that its peculiar properties were
described by DR.. Cavendish. Carbonic
acid gas was discovered by DIR. Black
nine years previous, which was the first
gas known, if we except the atmos-
phere. Hydrogen, then, was the sec.
ond gas il. the order of discovery.
It may be more convenient for some
parties wishing to make this gas to en-
ploy another method, as follows: Take
gun. barrel, or any iron pipe of about
four or five feet in length, and place in
the middle of it quantity Of perfectly
clean iron turnings, and then connect
ing this pipe at one end with some
steam boiler by flexible tube Tor
common tea-kettle will answer, place
the other end under the vessel to hold
the gas, this vessel being first filed
with water to expel all the air, and then
heat the middle part of the gun-barrel
or pipe to temperature of 1000 de.
grees. The vapor Of water, in passing
through, will come in contact with the
heated iron turnings, and its oxygen
will unite with them, forming the oxide
of iron commonly called iron rust),
while the hydrogen will pass out at the
other end in somewhat impure state,
from the carbon of the iron having to
some extent united with it. In conse-
quence of this contamination by carbon
it's odor is offensive, but in a perfectly
pure state it is alike odorless, colorless,
| and tasteless. It may be purified, when
made from iron, by passing it through
alcohol. When zinc is used, it can be
rendered tolerably pure by passing it
through pure potassa. It powerfully
refracts light, which we would not ex-
pect from its extreme lightness, and, it
is said, has been lately condensed into
quid, as have some other gases.
But let US look more particularly at
some of the peculiar features Of hydro
gen.
And at the outset, we are startled to
find, that while this mysterious sub.
stance is SO highly combustible, yet it
is not supporter of combustion. For
instance, if we plunge lighted candle
into ON inverted jar of hydrogen, while
the gas will be ignited, as stated, at the
surface, and at the surface only, and
continue to burn, yet the candle, if
thrust into the jar of gas, will be as
suddenly extinguished as if immersed
in water.
Again, if we force very small cur
rent of cold hydrogen against coil Of
very fine platinum wire, or platinum
sponge, we shall see that platinum wire,
or sponge, suddenly glowing at white
| heat, and the next instant the gas will
be ignited by it with slight explo-
sion.
Will dll tuo lAbut VI AOuOIA oCAcuC0s
| it must be confessed that this most
marvellous fact is not yet satisfactorily
explained. 1t is supposed that the metal
platinum has the peculiar property of
condensing or uniting the hydrogen,
and the oxygen of the air upon its sur
face, and with such energy is the union
effected, that sufficient heat is evolved
to produce the white hot surface re-
ferred t., which hot surface we can
readily see would ignite the gas. It
has been also supposed that the latent
| caloric of the by drogen is developed on
| the metal. But what is the actual mode
Of operation in producing this extra
ordinary temperature, even when the
gas is ice-cold, and the metal also, must
be regarded as one Of the yet uuex-
planned mysteries Of nature.
While this gas, when pure, burns
slowly and quietly, and only at the sur.
face, yet when mixed with only small
quantity Of oxygen, it becomes danger
ousiy erpl0sire, and should be handled
with great care, as serious accidents
have often occurred in its use.