Question

A metal reacts with chlorine to form two chlorides $A$ and $B$. $A$ has $77.45$% while $B$ has $84.93$%, by mass of chlorine. This data is in accordance with the:

• A. law of conservation of mass
• B. law of multiple proportions
• C. law of definite proportions
• D. law of reciprocal proportions

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

law of multiple proportions

The mass of metal in A is $100-77.45=22.55\%$.

$1$ g of metal combines with $\frac{77.45}{22.55}=3.43g$ of chlorine in A.

The mass of metal in B is $(100-84.93)=15.07\%$.

$1$ g of metal combines with $\frac{84.93}{15.07}=5.64g$ of chlorine in B.

The ratio of the mass of chlorine that combines with $1$ g of metal in A and B is $3.43:5.64=1:1.6=5:8.$ This is a simple ratio.

Thus, the data is in accordance with the law of multiple proportions, which states that when two elements combine with each other to form more than one compound, the weights of one element that combines with a fixed weight of the other are in a ratio of small whole numbers.