Question

When mixtures of gaseous h2 and gaseous cl2 react, a product forms that has the same properties regardless of the relative amounts of h2 and cl2 used. how is this result interpreted in terms of the law of definite proportions? when a volume of h2 reacts with an equal volume of cl2 at the same temperature and pressure, what volume of product having the formula hcl is formed?

Answer 1

According to Dalton's Atomic Theory, the Law of Definite Proportion is applied when a compound is always made up by a fixed fraction of its individual elements. This is manifested by the balancing of the reaction.

The reaction for this problem is:

H₂ + Cl₂ → 2 HCl

1 mol of H₂ is needed for every 1 mole of Cl₂. Assuming these are ideal gases, the moles is equal to the volume. So, if equal volumes of the reactants are available, they will produce twice the given volumes of HCl.