The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1904-08-26
ANALYSIS OF THE AIR.
Number of New Gases Found in the
Atmosphere-Dimer Compost
tions at Varying Heighta


The composition OF the air was up to
a few years ago relatively simple al
fair. Two principal gases, nitrogen ana
oxygen, formed the greater part OF the
atmospheric mass; another gas, carbon
ic acid, only representing few ten
thousandths Of the total volume, ana
aqueous vapor, variable from one DAY
to another, completed the fixed eie-
ments of the worlds envelope. IL 10
this combination we add little ozone,
condensed oxygen, in small and variable
proportions, we have a complete state
ment of our knowledge, or. at least
that knowledge which suff1ced Tor
student facing an examination, says
translation In Public Opinion from
Nuova Antologia Rome
To-day all is changed, for recently
have been found a large number OF
new gases In the air. A few days ago
Prof. Ham, OF Vienna, gave luminous
exposition of the present view OF SCI
ence on this matter, and the conclusions
OF this famous meteorologist are very
interesting. Prof. Ham stated that to
the known gases, oxygen and nitrogen,
or azote, we must add argon, neon, cryp-
ton, xenon and helium. Further, ex-
periments have shown the presence OF
hydrogen, an element vitality necessary
in the composition of water, but not
considered up to the present in the
In k,f hn al on
different physical properties, their dens-
ity especially being very dissimilar, the
lightest of all being hydrogen, COM
pared to which helum is nearly twice
as heavy, 1877; neon, 9.9; azote, about
Ia; oxygen, about 16; argon, nearly 20;
carbonic acid gas, %; crypton, Al, and
xenon, Ga. With such differences In
density it is evident that the gases are
not present in equal proportions.
This view is radically different from
the classified view, for we have hereto
fore believsd-basing our conceptions
on data obtained from balloon ascen-
sions-that the composition OF the all
was the same, even at the greatest alti-
derstood when 1t Is recalled that we
only took into consideration oxygen and
azote, the density of which elements
is about the same. With the knowledge
we have to-day of the properties of the
different gases of their weight and thefi
liquefaction temperature, we may de-
termine approximately what the proper
tions should be at different attitudes,
the proportions being stated by Prof.
Ham as follows:
ION plains but slightly elevated above
the sea, the composition Of the air is rs
per cent of azote, 21 per cent Of oxy-
gen. 90 per cent. argon 3-10,000th OF
carbonic acid, hydrogen, 1-10,000th,
while the other three elements vary from
hundred-thousandth to millionth
part. At six miles the azote Is 81 per
cent. and the oxygen IS per cent, argon
and carhonic acid gas have diminished
one-half, but hydrogen is little more
abundant, 81 liters to the ten thou
sand the average temperature at this
point being 1S degrees G. At 63 miles
with a probable temperature OF 80 de-
grees G.. the azote is only memory
about l.1,000th; there is no oxygen
4-1n)oths Of helium and 80 per cent OF
hydrogen, The total pressure of all OF
these Cases, which at the level of the
sea support column of mercury of 76t
millimrt ers, at this height only raise
2-10Gths Of a millimeter of mercury
Thus in the high regions of our at
mosphere hydrogen, accompanied by q
little hellum, reigns supreme, while the
heavy gases which constitute the atmos-
phere in which we live and breathe ex-
ist only on the surface Of the earth.