The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-22
Argon.

A little less than five years ago it was
reported to the Royal society by Ram
say and Lord Rayleigh that a new gas
had been discovered in the atmosphere.
The small quantity in which it Oc-
CURED and its remarkable reluctance
to unite with other elements were the
reasons for its having remained so long
unrecognized, although it was probably
obtained in a somewhat impure state
more than a century ago.
Nitrogen when extracted chemically
from its compounds, is about u per
cent lighter than the nitrogen obtained
from air This was marked by the eX-
perimenters, and in Ramsay's words:
when the discrepancy of weights
was first encountered attempts were
naturally made to explain 1t by con-
tamination with known impurities OF
these the most likely appeared to be
hydrogen, present in the lighter gas.
But inasmuch as the
intentional introduction of hydrogen
into the heavier gas, afterward treated
in the same way, had no ERECT upon It's
weight, this explanation had to be
abandoned"
The question then arose, What is the
actual evidence that the substance re-
naming after the removal from air OF
the known substances, except nitrogen,
is all of one kind2 Cavendish, expert
menting with air more than 100 years
ago. got a small residue, and conclud-
ed that IF there is any part of the
phlogisticated air of our atmosphere
which differs from the rest and cannot
be reduced to nitrous acid, we may
safely conclude that it is not more
than 1-12O part of the whole" With
this conclusion he appears to nave
been satisfied, although probably TINS
small part contained the gas now called
argOn.
Ramsay and Rayleigh obtained por-
lions from air by different methods,
measured the density and eXanlned
the spectrum. The spectrum, that
most delicate of all tests, showed a
substance which certainly was not nj
trogen, but it was for some time doubt
full whether it was an element, com
pound or a mixture. Samples OF the
new gas were very carefully examined
by Crool0es and the spectrum was found
to present some pecullar1tleS. The
physical constants" as they are
called. were determined by OlOzewOk
There was evidence on both sides.
There is evidence both for and
Sgainst the hypothesis that arSon rs a
mixture-for, owing to Mr.. Crookes
observations of the dual character OF
the spectrum; against, because of Pro-
lessor OlOZewokis statement that il
has q definite melting point, a definite
boiling point and definite critical
temperature and pressure: and because
on COMPRISING the gas in presence OF
its Iiquid, pressure remains sensibly
constant until all gas has condensed to
LIQUID The results may
be taken as affording additional con-
hrmation of the conclusion that argon
is a dehnite. hitherto unknown con-
stituent of the atmosphere, and that II
has been isolated in a state very closely
approaching to purity.
Argon was found to have a boiling
point Of -1S7 degrees c.. and froze al
-1S9 degrees c., in white crystals. II
is somewhat soluble in water bat at
tempts to make it combine chemically
with nearly forty different substances
failed. 1t was this inertness that gave
it the name argon.
Further search for compounds of ar