Explain the following quote with your understanding of the concept of gas mixtures (Ch. 10 concepts) and the composition of “common air” (i.e. the air in the atmosphere). Inflammable air is hydrogen.

“By the experiments... it appeared that when inflammable air and common air are exploded in a proper proportion, almost all of the inflammable air, and near one-fifth of the common air, lose their elasticity and are condensed into dew. It appears that this dew is plain water.” Joseph Priestly

http://www.jiskha.com/display.cgi?id=1432930774

The quote is discussing the findings of Joseph Priestley's experiments related to gas mixtures, specifically the combination of inflammable air (which we now know as hydrogen) and common air (the air we find in the atmosphere).

Firstly, let's understand the composition of common air—the air we breathe. Common air is primarily made up of nitrogen (about 78%), followed by oxygen (approximately 21%), and traces of other gases such as carbon dioxide, argon, and small amounts of water vapor.

Now, moving to the concept of gas mixtures, when two or more gases are combined without undergoing any chemical reactions, they form a mixture. In the case mentioned in the quote, inflammable air (hydrogen) and common air are combined and then exploded.

According to Priestley's experiments, when these two gases are exploded in the right proportion, a significant portion of the inflammable air and about one-fifth of the common air loses its elasticity and becomes condensed into dew. In other words, they transform from a gaseous state to a liquid state.

Furthermore, it is stated that this condensed dew is actually plain water. This finding suggests that the explosion of the gases causes a chemical reaction resulting in the formation of water.

In summary, based on Priestley's experiments, when hydrogen and common air are explosively combined, they lose their elasticity and transform into condensed dew, which is essentially water. This discovery contributes to our understanding of the composition and behavior of gas mixtures, as well as the chemical reactions that take place within them.