this lighted splinter of wood into the gas. The gas itself will not burn,
but it will make the splinter of wood burn. [The Lecturer ignited the end
of the wood, and introduced it into the jar of gas.] See how it
invigorates the combustion of the wood, and how it makes it burn far
better than the air would make it burn; and now you see by itself that
every other substance which is contained in the water, and which, when the
water was formed by the burning of the candle, must have been taken from
the atmosphere. What shall we call it, A, B, or C? Let us call it O--call
it "Oxygen:" it is a very good distinct-sounding name. This, then, is the
oxygen which was present in the water, forming so large a part of it.

We shall now begin to understand more clearly our experiments and
researches; because, when we have examined these things once or twice, we
shall soon see why a candle burns in the air. When we have in this way
analysed the water--that is to say, separated, or electrolysed its parts
out of it--we get two volumes of hydrogen, and one of the body that burns
it. And these two are represented to us on the following diagram, with
their weights also stated; and we shall find that the oxygen is a very
heavy body by comparison with the hydrogen. It is the other element in
water.

I had better, perhaps, tell you now how we get this oxygen abundantly,
having shewn you how we can separate it from the water. Oxygen, as you
will immediately imagine, exists in the atmosphere; for how should the
candle burn to produce water without it?

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