Question

Q.22 The three most stable oxides of carbon are carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂ ), and carbon suboxide ( C₃O₂). The molecules can be represented as:

Explain how thesemolecules illustrate the law of multiple proportions.

Short answer

Answer

The illustration of molecules using multiple proportion law as

m₁(O): m₂(O): m₃(O)=3:6:2

Step-by-step solution

Step-by-Step SolutionStep 1: Law of multiple proportions statement

This law states that when two elements form two or more compounds, the ratio of the second element’s mass will combine to 1 g of the first element is in multiples. This gets reduced to small whole numbers.

Compounds and their proportional calculation

Here, compounds can be taken as CO, CO₂, C₃O. Take the CO formula; there is a combination of 16 g of O with 12 g of C. To calculate m(O) combines with 1g of C as follows,

16gO:12gC=m₁(O):1gC

m₁(O) = $\frac{16.1}{12}$= 1.333g

Here, 32 g of oxygen combines with 12 g of Carbon.

Proportional calculation combines with 1g of Carbon

On calculating m(O) with 1g of C can be denoted as:

32gO:12gC = m₂₍O):1gC

m2(O) = $\frac{32.1}{12}$= 2.667g

32 g of oxygen combines with 36 g of Carbon. Then,

32gO:36gC = m₃(O):1gC

m₃(O) = $\frac{32.1}{36}$= 0.888

m₁(O): m₂(O): m₃(O) = 1:5:3:1

m₁(O): m₂(O): m₃(O) = 3:6:2

This is the law of multiple proportions.