Consider 80.0-g samples of two different compounds consisting of only carbon and oxygen. One of the compounds consists of 21.8 g of carbon, and the other has 34.3 g of carbon. Determine the ratio in whole numbers of the masses of carbon that combine with 1.00 g of oxygen between the two compounds.

Ratio of the mass carbon that combines with 1.00 g of oxygen in compound 2 to the mass of carbon that combines with 1.00 g of oxygen in compound 1 = 2

Explanation:

First, detemine the mass of oxygen in the two samples by difference:

mass of oxygen = mass of sample - mass of carbon

Item Compound 1 Compound 2

Sample 80.0 g 80.0 g

Carbon 21.8 g 34.3 g

Oxygen: 80.0 g - 21.8g = 58.2 g 80.0 g - 34.3 g = 45.7 g

Second, determine the ratios of the masses of carbon that combine with 1.00 g of oxygen:

For each sample, divide the mass of carbon by the mass of oxygen determined above:

Sample Mass of carbon that combines with 1.00 g of oxygen

Compound 1 21.8 g / 58.2 g = 0.375

Compound 2 34.3 g / 45.7 g = 0.751

Third, determine the ratio of the masses of carbon between the two compounds.

Divide the greater number by the smaller number:

Ratio = 0.751 / 0.375 = 2.00 which in whole numbers is 2