Question

Two samples of carbon tetrachloride were decomposed into their constituent elements. One sample produced 38.9 g of carbon and 451 g of chlorine, and the other sample produced 14.8 g of carbon and 135 g of chlorine. Are these results consistent with the law of definite proportions? Show why or why not.

Answer 1

Answer:

No.

Explanation:

The results mentioned are not consistent with the law of definite proportions.

Law of definite proportions states that a chemical compound contains exactly the same elements in the same proportion by weight independent of its source and method of it's preparation.

In the given question, the first sample contains 38.9 g of carbon and 451 g of chlorine that means the sample has 8% of carbon and 92% of chlorine.

On the other hand, second sample contains 14.8 g of carbon and 135 g of chlorine which means that this sample has 10% of carbon and 90% of chlorine.

Since the constituent elements in both the samples are not in fixed and constant proportions (by mass), the law of definite proportions fails here.