Question

Two different compounds are formed by the elements nitrogen and oxygen. The first compound, compound P1, contains 64.17% by mass nitrogen and 35.73% by mass oxygen. The second compound, compound P2, contains 47.23% by mass nitrogen and 52.79% by mass oxygen. What is the ratio of nitrogen to a fixed mass of oxygen for the two compounds?

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

To solve the problem, we must know the kind of compounds we are dealing with.

For the first compound, P1 and second compound P2:

                                N                       O                         N                     O

Mass percent       64.17                 35.73                  47.23               52.79

Atomic mass          14                      16                         14                    16

Number of

moles            64.17/14            35.73/16            47.23/14    52.79/16      

                            4.58                  2.23                     3.37                  3.30

Simplest

ratio                 4.58/2.23            2.23/2.23             3.37/3.30         3.3/3.3

                              2                           1                             1                        1

                             

P1 compound is N₂O

P2 compound is NO

These are the compounds,

   In N₂O = 28:16

          NO = 14:16

This is the ratio of nitrogen to a fixed mass of oxygen for the two compounds.