Two samples of sodium chloride are decomposed into their constituent elements. One sample produces 6.98 g of sodium and 10.7 g of chlorine, and the other sample produces 11.2 g of sodium and 17.3 g of chlorine. Are these results consistent with the law of definite proportions? Explain your answer.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the law of definite proportions, which states that a chemical compound always contains exactly the same proportion of elements by mass.
2. Calculate the mass ratio of sodium to chlorine for the first sample: \( \frac{6.98 \, \text{g Na}}{10.7 \, \text{g Cl}} \).
3. Calculate the mass ratio of sodium to chlorine for the second sample: \( \frac{11.2 \, \text{g Na}}{17.3 \, \text{g Cl}} \).
4. Compare the two mass ratios calculated in the previous steps to determine if they are the same or very close, which would indicate consistency with the law of definite proportions.
5. Conclude whether the results are consistent with the law of definite proportions based on the comparison of the mass ratios.