Sure! Let's illustrate the Law of Definite Proportions using the given data:
1. We start with 0.16 grams of sulfur (S) that is used to produce 112 grams of sulfur dioxide (SO₂).
First, we need to determine the proportion or ratio between sulfur and sulfur dioxide. This ratio is obtained by dividing the mass of sulfur dioxide by the mass of sulfur:
[tex]\[
\text{Ratio of } \text{SO₂ to S} = \frac{112 \text{ grams of SO₂}}{0.16 \text{ grams of S}} = 700.0
\][/tex]
2. Now, we have another measured relationship: Sulfur is obtained from a compound that contains exactly 50% sulfur by mass. In this context, if a compound has 50% sulfur, and we start with 0.16 grams of this compound, the mass of sulfur in the compound can be calculated by taking 50% of 0.16 grams:
[tex]\[
\text{Amount of sulfur in the compound} = 0.16 \text{ grams} \times 0.50 = 0.08 \text{ grams}
\][/tex]
3. With the known ratio of sulfur to sulfur dioxide production, we can now calculate the amount of sulfur dioxide that would be produced from this 0.08 grams of sulfur obtained from the compound:
[tex]\[
\text{Amount of SO₂ produced} = \text{Ratio of SO₂ to S} \times \text{Amount of sulfur in the compound}
\][/tex]
Substituting the known values:
[tex]\[
\text{Amount of SO₂ produced} = 700.0 \times 0.08 \text{ grams} = 56.0 \text{ grams}
\][/tex]
To summarize:
- The ratio of sulfur to sulfur dioxide production is 700.0.
- The amount of sulfur in the compound that contains 50% sulfur is 0.08 grams.
- The corresponding amount of sulfur dioxide produced from the sulfur obtained in the compound is 56.0 grams.
This consistent relationship between the masses illustrates the Law of Definite Proportions, which states that a chemical compound always contains its component elements in fixed ratio by mass and does not depend on its source or method of preparation.
