Skip to main content
Ch.2 - Atoms, Molecules, and Ions
Chapter 2, Problem 11b

A 1.0-g sample of carbon dioxide (CO2) is fully decomposed into its elements, yielding 0.273 g of carbon and 0.727 g of oxygen. (b) If a sample of a different compound decomposes into 0.429 g of carbon and 0.571 g of oxygen, what is its ratio of the mass of O to C?

Verified Solution

Video duration:
2m
This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above.
Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Law of Conservation of Mass

The Law of Conservation of Mass states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. This principle is fundamental in stoichiometry, as it allows us to account for all the mass of reactants and products in a reaction. In the context of the question, it ensures that the total mass of carbon and oxygen produced from the decomposition of a compound equals the mass of the original sample.
Recommended video:
Guided course
01:48
Law of Conservation of Mass

Mass Ratio

The mass ratio is a comparison of the mass of one element to the mass of another element in a compound. It is calculated by dividing the mass of one element by the mass of another. In this question, determining the mass ratio of oxygen to carbon in the second compound is essential for understanding its composition and comparing it to the first compound.
Recommended video:
Guided course
02:14
Neutron-Proton Ratio

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the area of chemistry that deals with the quantitative relationships between the substances involved in a chemical reaction. It allows chemists to predict the amounts of products formed or reactants consumed based on balanced chemical equations. In this question, stoichiometry is used to analyze the decomposition of compounds and calculate the mass ratios of the resulting elements.
Recommended video:
Guided course
01:16
Stoichiometry Concept
Related Practice
Textbook Question

The following diagram represents an ionic compound in which the red spheres represent cations and the blue spheres represent anions. Which of the following formulas is consistent with the drawing? KBr, K2SO4, Ca1NO322, Fe21SO423.

636
views
1
rank
Textbook Question

In the Millikan oil-drop experiment (see Figure 2.5), the tiny oil drops are observed through the viewing lens as rising, stationary, or falling, as shown here. (a) What causes their rate of fall to vary from their rate in the absence of an electric field?

420
views
Textbook Question

A 1.0-g sample of carbon dioxide (CO2) is fully decomposed into its elements, yielding 0.273 g of carbon and 0.727 g of oxygen. (a) What is the ratio of the mass of O to C?

751
views
Textbook Question

A 1.0-g sample of carbon dioxide (CO2) is fully decomposed into its elements, yielding 0.273 g of carbon and 0.727 g of oxygen. If a sample of a different compound decomposes into 0.429 g of carbon and 0.571 g of oxygen, what is its ratio of the mass of O to C? (c) According to Dalton's atomic theory, what is the empirical formula of the second compound?

2000
views
Textbook Question

Sodium reacts with oxygen in air to form two compounds: sodium oxide and sodium peroxide. In forming sodium oxide, 23.0 g of sodium combines with 8.0 g of hydrogen. In forming sodium peroxide, 23.0 g of sodium combines with 16.0 g of oxygen. (b) What fundamental law does this experiment demonstrate?

5860
views
Textbook Question

A chemist finds that 30.82 g of nitrogen will react with 17.60, 35.20, 70.40, or 88.00 g of oxygen to form four different compounds. (b) How do the numbers in part (a) support Dalton's atomic theory?

894
views