Several compounds containing only sulfur (S) and fluorine (F) are known. Three of them have the following compositions.
i. 1.188 g of F for every 1.000 g of S
ii. 2.375 g of F for every 1.000 g of S
iii. 3.563 g of F for every 1.000 g of S
How do these data illustrate the law of multiple proportions?
What does the law of multiple proportions say? Something about the amount of F that combines with a fixed about of S is in the ratio of small whole numbers.
1.188/1.188 = 1
2.375/1.188 = ?
3.563/1.188 = ?
The law of multiple proportions states that when two elements combine to form different compounds, the ratio of the masses of the second element that combine with a fixed mass of the first element can be expressed in small whole numbers.
To illustrate this law, we need to examine the ratios of sulfur (S) to fluorine (F) for the given compounds.
i. 1.188 g F / 1.000 g S
ii. 2.375 g F / 1.000 g S
iii. 3.563 g F / 1.000 g S
By comparing the ratios, we can observe that the ratio of F to S in the second compound (ii) is exactly twice that of the first compound (i), and the ratio in the third compound (iii) is exactly three times that of the first compound.
This demonstrates that the compounds are formed by combining sulfur and fluorine in a fixed ratio, but the ratio varies depending on the compound. The ratios of F to S are expressed in small whole numbers (2 and 3), which aligns with the law of multiple proportions.
In summary, the given data illustrates the law of multiple proportions as the ratios of fluorine to sulfur in the compounds are expressed in small whole numbers, demonstrating that different compounds can be formed by combining elements in different ratios.