Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 2: Problem 3

Two basic laws of chemistry are the law of conservation of mass and the law of constant composition. Which of these laws (if any) do the following statements illustrate? (a) Lavoisier found that when mercury(II) oxide, \(\mathrm{HgO}\), decomposes, the total mass of mercury(Hg) and oxygen formed equals the mass of mercury(II) oxide decomposed. (b) Analysis of the calcium carbonate found in the marble mined in Carrara, Italy, and in the stalactites of the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico gives the same value for the percentage of calcium in calcium carbonate. (c) Hydrogen occurs as a mixture of two isotopes, one of which is twice as heavy as the other.

Short Answer

Expert verified
(a) When mercury(II) oxide decomposes, the total mass of mercury and oxygen formed is equal to the mass of mercury(II) oxide decomposed. (b) The percentage of calcium in calcium carbonate is the same in marble mined from Italy and in stalactites in the Carlsbad Caverns of New Mexico. (c) Hydrogen occurs as a mixture of two isotopes with different masses. Answer: (a) Law of Conservation of Mass (b) Law of Constant Composition (c) Neither

Step by step solution

01

Statement (a) analysis

This statement states that when mercury(II) oxide, \(\mathrm{HgO}\), decomposes, the total mass of mercury (Hg) and oxygen formed is equal to the mass of mercury(II) oxide decomposed. This implies that the mass of reactants is equal to the mass of products, which aligns with the Law of Conservation of Mass.
02

Statement (b) analysis

This statement states that the percentage of calcium in calcium carbonate is the same regardless of whether it is found in marble mined in Carrara, Italy, or in the stalactites of the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. This means that the proportions of elements in this compound are constant and don't vary depending on their source, which conforms to the Law of Constant Composition.
03

Statement (c) analysis

This statement states that hydrogen occurs as a mixture of two isotopes with different masses. This information is related to the isotopes of an element and their abundance but does not demonstrate a relation between either the conservation of mass in a chemical reaction or the constant proportion of elements found in compounds. Hence, it does not illustrate either the Law of Conservation of Mass or the Law of Constant Composition.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Write the names of the following molecules. (a) \(\mathrm{ICl}_{3}\) (b) \(\mathrm{N}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{5}\) (c) \(\mathrm{PH}_{3}\) (d) \(\mathrm{CBr}_{4}\) (e) \(\mathrm{SO}_{3}\)

How many nonmetals are in the following periods? (a) period 2 (b) period 4 (c) period 6

Write the formulas and names of the following: (a) An ionic compound whose cation is a transition metal with 25 protons and 22 electrons and whose anion is an oxoanion of nitro- gen with two oxygen atoms. (b) A molecule made up of a metalloid in Group 13 and three atoms of a halogen in period 2 . (c) An ionic compound made up of an alkaline earth with 20 protons, and an anion with one hydrogen atom, a carbon atom, and 3 oxygen atoms.

State in your own words the law of constant composition.

Give the symbols for (a) potassium (b) cadmium (c) aluminum (d) antimony (e) phosphorus
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Chemical Analysis

Read Explanation

Chemical Reactions

Read Explanation

Ionic and Molecular Compounds

Read Explanation

Organic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Inorganic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Kinetics

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free