What is the law of multiple proportions, and how does Dalton's atomic theory account for it?

Video transcript

Welcome back, everyone. We have a true or false example. We're told that John Dalton's law of multiple proportions is based on his atomic theory. So let's consider two different compounds, water and peroxide in which we have our elements in these compounds as oxygen and hydrogen. Looking at the ratio between hydrogen and oxygen and water, we would recognize that we have A 1 - two ratio. Then looking at the ratio between our atoms and peroxide, hydrogen oxygen, we would observe that we have a 1-1 ratio for every one atom of hydrogen. There's one atom of oxygen. Notice that these ratios are simple, whole number will say simple whole number. Integers. Now, what we've outlined so far between water and peroxide and the ratios being simple whole number integers is what ultimately defines our law of multiple proportions by Dalton. When different elements combined to form our chemical compounds. In this case, water and peroxide, the ratio of their masses is always a simple whole number as we see here. But if we recall upon Dalton's atomic theory, we would understand why it's so closely related to his thoughts for the law of multiple proportions because we would recall that his atomic theory states that elements are composed of tiny particles known as our atoms in an element and the atoms of each element are going to combine in fixed ratios. So the result of the ratio of the masses of two different compounds, in this case, water and peroxide being a simple whole number is actually a result of the atoms of these elements making up our compound combining in fixed ratios. So we would agree that the given statement does make sense as a true statement and so true would be our final answer. I hope that what I reviewed was clear. But if you have any questions, just leave them down below and I'll see everyone in the next video.