Two samples of carbon tetrachloride are decomposed into their constituent elements. One sample produces 38.9 g of carbon and 448 g of chlorine, and the other sample produces 14.8 g of carbon and 134 g of chlorine. Are these results consistent with the law of definite proportions? Explain your answer.

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Identify the law of definite proportions, which states that a chemical compound always contains the same proportion of elements by mass.

Calculate the mass ratio of chlorine to carbon for the first sample: divide the mass of chlorine (448 g) by the mass of carbon (38.9 g).

Calculate the mass ratio of chlorine to carbon for the second sample: divide the mass of chlorine (134 g) by the mass of carbon (14.8 g).

Compare the two mass ratios obtained from the samples. If they are the same or very close, the results are consistent with the law of definite proportions.

Conclude whether the results are consistent with the law of definite proportions based on the comparison of the mass ratios.

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Key Concepts

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

Law of Definite Proportions

The Law of Definite Proportions states that a chemical compound always contains its component elements in fixed ratio by mass, regardless of the amount of the compound or its source. For example, water (H2O) always consists of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom, which translates to a specific mass ratio. This law is fundamental in determining whether the results of the decomposition of carbon tetrachloride are consistent across different samples.

Mass Ratio Calculation

To assess consistency with the Law of Definite Proportions, one must calculate the mass ratios of the elements produced from each sample. This involves dividing the mass of carbon by the mass of chlorine for each sample. If the ratios are equivalent, it supports the idea that the samples are consistent with the law; if not, it suggests variability in composition.

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 predict the amounts of substances consumed and produced in a reaction. Understanding stoichiometry is essential for analyzing the results of the decomposition of carbon tetrachloride, as it helps in determining whether the observed mass ratios align with the expected ratios based on the compound's formula.

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