Note 62 — Chapter VI · TTHE COMPOUNDS OF NITROGEN WITH HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN

A mixture of nitric oxide and hydrogen is inflammable. If a mixture of the two gases be passed over spongy platinum the nitrogen and hydrogen even combine, forming ammonia. A mixture of nitric oxide with many combustible vapours and gases is very inflammable. A very characteristic flame is obtained in burning a mixture of nitric oxide and the vapour of the combustible carbon bisulphide, CS2. The latter substance is very volatile, so that it is sufficient to pass the nitric oxide through a layer of the carbon bisulphide (for instance, in a Woulfe's bottle) in order that the gas escaping should contain a considerable amount of the vapours of this substance. This mixture continues to burn when ignited, and the flame emits a large quantity of the so-called ultra-violet rays, which are capable of inducing chemical combinations and decompositions, and therefore the flame may be employed in photography in the absence of sufficient daylight (magnesium light and electric light have the same property). There are many gases (for instance, ammonia) which when mixed with nitric oxide explode in a eudiometer.