A compound formed from titanium and oxygen has the formula TiO2. Which of the following is true about the ratio of number Ti and
O atoms? 1. The ratio is always 1 atom Ti 1 atom O . 2. The ratio is always 1 atom Ti 2 atoms O. 3. The ratio can vary so long as no element other than Ti and O are present. 4. The ratio is always 2 atoms Ti 1 atom O . 5. The ratio cannot be determined from the information given.
There are some basic laws that guide the combination of elements chemically. These are the law of conservation of mass, law of definite proportion, law of multiple proportion and the law of reciprocal proportion.
For this question, the useful law to use is the law of definite proportion. Here, it is stated that no matter the method of preparation or source of preparation, the elements of a chemical compound are always present in a fixed ratio.
What this means that at any point in time, the compound titanium dioxide contains one atom of titanium and two atoms of oxygen. This means that both atoms are present at all times in a proportion of 1 to 2 .
