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. (a) Calculate the mass of oxygen per gram of nitrogen in each compound. 30.82 g N and 70.40 g O

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the given masses: 30.82 g of nitrogen and 70.40 g of oxygen.
2. To find the mass of oxygen per gram of nitrogen, divide the mass of oxygen by the mass of nitrogen.
3. Set up the calculation as follows: \( \text{Mass of oxygen per gram of nitrogen} = \frac{\text{Mass of oxygen}}{\text{Mass of nitrogen}} \).
4. Substitute the given values into the equation: \( \frac{70.40 \text{ g O}}{30.82 \text{ g N}} \).
5. Simplify the expression to find the mass of oxygen per gram of nitrogen.

Key Concepts

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the quantitative relationships between the reactants and products in a chemical reaction. It allows chemists to calculate the amounts of substances consumed and produced in a reaction based on balanced chemical equations. Understanding stoichiometry is essential for determining the mass ratios of elements in compounds formed from reactions.

Mass Ratio

The mass ratio is a comparison of the mass of one substance to the mass of another substance in a chemical reaction. In this context, it refers to the amount of oxygen that reacts with a given mass of nitrogen. Calculating the mass ratio helps in understanding the proportions of elements in different compounds and is crucial for analyzing the results of the chemist's findings.

Empirical Formula

The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of the elements in a compound. It provides insight into the composition of the compound without detailing the actual number of atoms. By calculating the mass of oxygen per gram of nitrogen, one can derive the empirical formula for the compounds formed, which is important for identifying and classifying the compounds based on their elemental composition.