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OCR
12 now TO DO CHEMICAL TRICKS.
The presence of the latter 1113)‘ be i”'O"“d by decanting
501,“; of the remaining air into a bottle, and then shaking
some lime water with it, which will absorb the carbonic
acid and form chalk.
Into an ale glass, two thirds full of water at about 140 de-
grecs, drop one or two pieces of phosphorus about the size
of peas, and they will remain unaltered. Then take a
i)ii‘l(l(iCX‘ containing oxygen gas, to which is attacheda stop
cock and along fine tube. Pass the end of the tube to the
bottom of the water, turn the stop cock, and press the
bladder gently. As the gas teaches the phosphorus it
will take fire, and burn under the water With it brilliant
flame, filling the glass with brilliant ilashes of light dash-
ing through the water.
Into another glass put some cold water; introduce care-
fully some of the salt called chlorate of potash; upon that
drop a, piece of phosphorus; then let some strong sulphur-
ic acid (oil of vitriol) trickle slowly down the side of the
glass, or introduce it by means of a dropping bottle.
As soon as the acid touches the salt. the latter is decom-
posed, and liberates a gas which ignites the phosphorus,
producing much the same appearance as in the last exper-
iment.
Into the half of a broken phial put some chlorate of pot-
ash, and pour in some oil of vitriol. The phial will soon
be filled with a heavy gas of a deep yellow color. Tie a
small test tube at right angles to the end of a stick not less
than a yard long, put a little ether into the tube, and pour
it gently into the phial of gas, when an instantaneous ex-
plosion will take place, and the ether will be set on fire.
This experiment should be performed in a place where
there are no articles of furniture to be damaged, as the in-
gredients are often scattered by the explosion, and the oil
of vitriol destroys all animal and vegetable substances.
Into a jar containing oxygen gas introduce a coil of soft
iron wire, suspended to a. cork that tits the neck of the jar
and having attached a small piece of charcoal to the lower
part of the wire, ignite the charcoal. The iron will take
fire and burn with a brilliant light, throwing out bright
scintillations, which are oxide of iron, formed by the union
of the gas with the iron; and they are so intensely hot