Scientific amusements . contains a metal nearly aswhite as silver, and as malleable, and capable of burningwith so intense a light that it rivals even the electric lightin brilliancy! If any of our readers desire to preparemagnesium themselves it can be done in the followingmanner :—Some white magnesia must be obtained frbmthe chemist, and after having been calcined, must be sub-mitted to the influence of hydrochloric acid and hydro-chlorate of ammonia. A clear solution will thus beobtained, which by means of evaporation under the in-fluence of heat, furnishes a double chloride, hydrated and M
Scientific amusements . contains a metal nearly aswhite as silver, and as malleable, and capable of burningwith so intense a light that it rivals even the electric lightin brilliancy! If any of our readers desire to preparemagnesium themselves it can be done in the followingmanner :—Some white magnesia must be obtained frbmthe chemist, and after having been calcined, must be sub-mitted to the influence of hydrochloric acid and hydro-chlorate of ammonia. A clear solution will thus beobtained, which by means of evaporation under the in-fluence of heat, furnishes a double chloride, hydrated and MAGNESIA. 21 crystallised. This chloride, if heated to redness in anearthenware crucible, leaves as a residue a nacreous pro-duct, composed of micaceous, white scales, chloride ofanhydrous magnesium. If six hundred grams of this chloride of magnesium aremixed with one hundred grams of chloride of sodium, orkitchen salt, and the same quantity of fluoride of calciumand metallic sodium in small fragments, and the mixture. Group of alum crystals. is put into an earthenware crucible made red-hot, andheated for a quarter of an hour under a closed lid, we shallfind on pouring out the fluid on to a handful of earth,that we have obtained instead of scoria, forty-five grams ofmetallic magnesium. The metal thus obtained is impure,and to remove all foreign substances it must be heated in acharcoal tube, through which passes a current of is now produced in great abundance, andis very inexpensive. It is a metal endowed with a great 2 2 CHEMISTRY. affinity for oxygen, and it is only necessary to thrust itinto the flame of a candle to produce combustion; it burnswith a brightness that the eye can scarcely tolerate, and istransformed into a white powder—oxide of magnesium, ormagnesia. Combustion is still more active in oxygen,and powder of magnesium placed in a jar filled with thisgas produces a perfect shower of fire of very beautifuleffect. To give an idea of the lightin
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade189, booksubjectscientificrecreations
