Chemical Compound Ratio Calculation
What is the lowest whole-number mass ratio of nitrogen that combines with a given mass of oxygen?
a) 2.8 / 1.6 = ____
or
b) 5.6 / 9.6 = ____
(obviously neither is a whole number)
We need to assume 100g of Nitrogen.
m (2.8 / 1.6) + n (5.6 / 9.6 ) = k(100)
where:
k = integer
m and n = grams of oxygen in each compound
Answer:
Given that we need to determine the lowest whole-number mass ratio of nitrogen that combines with a given mass of oxygen, let's solve the problem for each compound:
Compound A:
For compound A, we have 2.8 g of nitrogen for each 1.6 g of oxygen.
Atomic weight of Nitrogen (N) = 14
Atomic weight of Oxygen (O) = 16
Thus, the molar ratio of N and O in compound A is 2:1.
Therefore, the lowest whole-number mass ratio of nitrogen that combines with a given mass of oxygen is 2:1, and the compound formed is N2O.
Compound B:
For compound B, we have 5.6 g of nitrogen for each 9.6 g of oxygen.
Atomic weight of Nitrogen (N) = 14
Atomic weight of Oxygen (O) = 16
Thus, the molar ratio of N and O in compound B is 2:3.
Therefore, the lowest whole-number mass ratio of nitrogen that combines with a given mass of oxygen is 2:3, and the compound formed is N2O3.
So, the calculated ratios are not whole numbers. In order to find the whole-number ratio, let's assume 100g of Nitrogen and solve for m and n:
To find the whole-number ratio, we need to set up the equation:
m (2.8 / 1.6) + n (5.6 / 9.6 ) = k(100)
where:
k = integer
m and n = grams of oxygen in each compound
After solving for m and n, we find that if k=1, n = 14.3 and m = 85.7. This means that one has 100g of Oxygen, 14.3g of Nitrogen, and 85.7g of Oxygen in Compound A.
Therefore, the lowest whole-number mass ratio of nitrogen that combines with a given mass of oxygen is 3:1. This calculation helps us determine the correct compound ratios and compositions based on the given data.