Question

In the two oxides of carbon, the mass ratio of oxygen is 1.33:2.66.identify the law illustrated by the above ratio and state the law​

Answer 1

Answer:

Once the idea that elements combined in definite proportions to form compounds was established, experiments also began to demonstrate that the same pairs of certain elements could combine to form more than one compound. Consider the elements carbon and oxygen. Combined in one way, they form the familiar compound carbon dioxide. In every sample of carbon dioxide, there are \(32.0 \: \text{g}\) of oxygen present for every \(12.0 \: \text{g}\) of carbon. By dividing \(32.0\) by \(12.0\), this simplifies to a mass ratio of oxygen to carbon of 2.66 to 1. There is another compound that forms from the combination of carbon and oxygen called carbon monoxide. Every sample of carbon monoxide contains \(16.0 \: \text{g}\) of oxygen for every \(12.0 \: \text{g}\) of carbon. This is a mass ratio of oxygen to carbon of 1.33 to 1. In the carbon dioxide, there is exactly twice as much oxygen present as there is in the carbon monoxide. This example illustrates the law of multiple proportions: whenever the same two elements form more than one compound, the different masses of one element that combine with the same mass of the other element are in the ratio of small whole numbers.