A piece of magnesium ribbon weighting 50g is burn in air and 80g of magnesium oxide is formed. What mass of oxygen combined with the magnesium in this reaction?

The law of conservation of mass tells you that mass is neither created nor destroyed.

2Mg + O2 ==> 2MgO
50 g..+..x g...=......80
So what must x be?

To determine the mass of oxygen combined with the magnesium in this reaction, we need to use the law of conservation of mass. According to this law, the total mass of the reactants is equal to the total mass of the products in a chemical reaction.

In this case, the reactant is magnesium (Mg) and the product is magnesium oxide (MgO). We are given that a piece of magnesium ribbon weighing 50g is burnt in air, resulting in the formation of 80g of magnesium oxide.

Using the law of conservation of mass, we can calculate the mass of oxygen:

Mass of magnesium + Mass of oxygen = Mass of magnesium oxide

Let's denote the mass of oxygen as "x."

50g (mass of magnesium) + x (mass of oxygen) = 80g (mass of magnesium oxide)

To find the value of "x," we can rearrange the equation:

x (mass of oxygen) = 80g (mass of magnesium oxide) - 50g (mass of magnesium)

Simplifying:

x = 30g

Therefore, the mass of oxygen combined with the magnesium in this reaction is 30g.