Question

Consider 80.0-g samples of two different compounds consisting of only carbon and oxygen. One of the compounds consists of 21.8 g of carbon, and the other has 34.3 g of carbon. Determine the ratio in whole numbers of the masses of carbon that combine with 1.00 g of oxygen between the two compounds.

Answer 1

Answer:

• Ratio of the  mass carbon that combines with 1.00 g of oxygen in compound 2 to the mass of carbon that combines with 1.00 g of oxygen in compound 1 = 2

Explanation:

First, detemine the mass of oxygen in the two samples by difference:

• mass of oxygen = mass of sample - mass of carbon

Item                     Compound 1                        Compound 2

Sample                80.0 g                                    80.0 g

Carbon                 21.8 g                                    34.3 g

Oxygen:               80.0 g - 21.8g = 58.2 g         80.0 g - 34.3 g = 45.7 g

Second, determine the ratios of the masses of carbon that combine with 1.00 g of oxygen:

• For each sample, divide the mass of carbon by the mass of oxygen determined above:

Sample              Mass of carbon that combines with 1.00 g of oxygen            

Compound 1      21.8 g / 58.2 g =  0.375

Compound 2     34.3 g / 45.7 g = 0.751

Third, determine the ratio of the masses of carbon between the two compounds.

• Divide the greater number by the smaller number:

• Ratio = 0.751 / 0.375 = 2.00 which in whole numbers is 2