A Guide to the Scientific Knowledge of Things Familiar (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1864 Excerpt: ...and burns inside the lamp: As soon as this is the case, the miner is in danger, and should withdraw. Q. Why is the miner in Danger if the gas ignites and burns in tlie Inside of the safety lamp? A. Because the heat of the burning gas will soon destroy the xoire gauze; and then the flame (being free) will set fire to the mine. N. B. When the carburetted hydrogen gas takes fire from the miner's candle, the miner sometimes perishes in the blast ofthe flame, and sometimes suffers si, ffi cation from the carbonic acid which is thus produced. PHOSPHURBTTED HYDROGEN GAS. CHAPTER XXIII. Q. From what do the very Offensive EffluVia of CHURCH-YARDS arise? A. From a gas called Phosphuret TED HYDROGEN; which is pllOSphoTUS combined with hydrogen gas. Q. What is Phosphorus? A. A pale amber-colored substance, resembling wax in appearance. The word is derived from two Greek words, which mean " to produce or carry light." Q. HOW is PHOSPHORUS OBTAINED % A. By heating-bones to a white heat; by which means, the animal matter and charcoal are consumed, and a substance called "phosphate of lime" is left behind. Q. What is the Phosphate Of Lime? A. Phosphorus united to oxyg'en and lime; when sulphuric acid is added, and the mixture heated, the lime is attracted to the acid, and pure phosphorus remains. If powdered charcoal be added, phosphorus may be procured by distillation. Q. Of what is the ignitible part of Lucifeb Matches made? A. Of phosphorus: and above 250 thousand lbs. are used every year in London alone, merely for the manufacture of lunfer matches. Q. Why does a Putrefying dead Bodv Smell so offensively? A. Because phosphuretted hydrogen gas always rises from putrefying animal substances. The escape of amnnonia and sulphuretted hydrogen contributes ...