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177
The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry
·
M. M. Pattison Muir
127
He
argued
that
if
this
conclusion
was
correct,
the
weight
of
the
solid
must
be
equal
to
the
loss
of
weight
suffered
by
the
vessel;
he
therefore
separated
the
solid
from
the
water
in
which
it
was
suspended,
dried,
and
weighed
it.
The
solid
weighed
4-9/10
grains.
Lavoisier's
conclusion
seemed
to
be
incorrect;
the
weight
of
the
solid,
which
was
supposed
to
be
produced
by
the
action
of
the
water
on
the
vessel,
was
12-1/2
grains
less
than
the
weight
of
the
material
removed
from
the
vessel.
But
some
of
the
material
which
was
removed
from
the
vessel
might
have
remained
dissolved
in
the
water:
Lavoisier
distilled
the
water,
which
he
had
separated
from
the
solid,
in
a
glass
vessel,
until
only
a
very
little
remained
in
the
distilling
apparatus;
he
poured
this
small
quantity
into
a
glass
basin,
and
boiled
until
the
whole
of
the
water
had
disappeared
as
steam.
There
remained
a
white,
earthy
solid,
the
weight
of
which
was
15-1/2
grains.
Lavoisier
had
obtained
4-9/10
+
15-1/2
=
20-2/5
grains
of
solid;
the
pelican
had
lost
17-2/5
grains.
The
difference
between
these
weights,
namely,
3
grains,
was
accounted
for
by
Lavoisier
as
due
to
the
solvent
action
of
the
water
on
the
glass
apparatus
wherein
it
had
been
distilled,
and
on
the
glass
basin
wherein
it
had
been
evaporated
to
dryness.
Lavoisier's
experiments
proved
that
when
distilled
water
is
heated
in
a
glass
vessel,
it
dissolves
some
of
the
material
of
the
vessel,
and
the
white,
earthy
solid
which
is
obtained
by
boiling
down
the
water
is
merely
the
material
which
has
been
removed
from
the
glass
vessel.
His
experiments
also
proved
that
the
water
does
not
undergo
any
change
during
the
process;
that
at
the
end
of
the
operation
it
is
what
it
was
at
the
beginning--water,
and
nothing
but
water.
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