We did a lab. The reaction of zinc and iodine.

We put 1 g of zinc with 1 g of iodine.. and used alcohol.
Is the equation Zn + I2 ----> ZnI(2)?

The moles of Zn atoms consumed were .003 mol.
The moles of I atoms consumed were .004 mol.

The class got a ratio and we averaged it.. it was 1:1.98

What does this ratio mean? Could someone explain this?

1:1.98 rounds to 1:2 which means the formula is ZnI2.

The ratio of 1:1.98 refers to the ratio of moles of zinc atoms consumed to moles of iodine atoms consumed in the reaction between zinc and iodine. In other words, for every 1 mole of zinc consumed, approximately 1.98 moles of iodine are consumed.

This ratio is important as it allows us to determine the stoichiometry or the balanced chemical equation of the reaction. From the ratio, it appears that the balanced chemical equation would be:

Zn + 1.98I2 → ZnI3

However, since the formula ZnI3 does not correspond to a known compound, it is likely that the actual balanced chemical equation is different.

To determine the correct balanced chemical equation, you would need to consider the Law of Conservation of Mass. This law states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction, so the number and type of atoms on both sides of the equation must be equal.

To find the correct balanced equation, you can assign variables for the stoichiometric coefficients of the reactants and products, such as x for Zn and y for I2. Then, using the given moles of Zn and I, you can set up a system of equations based on the mole ratio:

x = 0.003 mol (moles of Zn)
y = 0.004 mol (moles of I2)

From the ratio of 1:1.98, you can set up the equation:

x / y = 1 / 1.98

Solving this equation will give you the stoichiometric coefficients, which will then allow you to write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction.