Question

A chemist decomposes several samples of carbon monoxide into carbon and oxygen and weighs the resultant elements. The results are shown below:
Sample Mass of Carbon Mass of Oxygen
1 6 8
2 12 16
3 18 24
Do you notice a pattern in these results?

Next, the chemist decomposes several samples of hydrogen peroxide into hydrogen and oxygen. The results are shown below:
Sample Mass of Hydrogen Mass of Oxygen
1 0.5 8
2 1 16
3 1.5 24

Can you formulate a law from the observation in a and b?
Can you formulate a hypothesis that might explain your law in c?

Answer 1

It follows a simpleratio 3: 4
Law of definite proportions
In chemistry, the law of definite proportions, sometimes called Proust's Law, states that a chemical compound always contains exactly the same proportion of elements by mass.