_Oxygen._--Fluorine has not been found capable of uniting with oxygen
up to a temperature of 500 deg.. On ozone, however, it appears to exert
some action, as will be evident from the following experiment. It was
shown in 1887 that fluorine decomposes water, forming hydrofluoric
acid, and liberating oxygen in the form of ozone. When a few drops of
water are placed in the apparatus shown in Fig. 3, and fluorine
allowed to enter, the water is instantly decomposed, and on looking
through the fluorspar ends a thick dark cloud is seen over the spot
where each drop of water had previously been. This cloud soon
diminishes in intensity, and is eventually replaced by a beautiful
blue gas--ozone in a state of considerable density. If the product is
chased out by a stream of nitrogen as soon as the dense cloud is
formed, a very strong odor is perceived, different from that of either
fluorine or ozone, but which soon gives place to the unmistakable odor
of ozone. It appears as if there is at first produced an unstable
oxide of fluorine, which rapidly decomposes into fluorine and ozone.
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