When if and buts become bolts and nuts what a Merry Chemistry we have!
Three Laws of Matter:
1. Law of Conservation of Matter states that in an ordinary chemical reaction matter is
neither created nor destroyed. In other words mass is conserved.
2. Law of Definite Composition (or Proportions) states that, in a pure compound, the
elements combine in definite proportions (by weight) to each other.
3. Law of Multiple Proportions states that that when two elements can combine to form
more than one compound the amounts of one of them that combines with a fixed amount
of the other will exhibit a simple multiple relation.
An Analogy:
Your manager has asked you for a report of how many nuts and bolts of uniform size have been
sent to three separate subsidiaries where they have already been assembled. How many kilograms
of nuts and kilograms of bolts were sent out to all three subsidiaries. Describe how each
subsidiary had assembled the nuts and bolts.
1. Acme Tools received 2,000 kg of bolts and an unknown mass of nuts that were subsequently
assembled. The mass of the assembled bolts and nuts is 2,500 Kg. How many kg of nuts were
delivered to company A?
A. What assumption is made in solving this problem? Explain or show your work.
B. How is this like the Law of Conservation of Mass?
C. Using B for bolt and N for nut write an equation for the assemblage nuts and bolts at Acme
Tools.
2. Modern Enterprises reports that a 5000 kg mass of assembled nuts and bolts were configured
as a mass ratio of 1.000 kg bolts for every 0.25 kg of nuts.
A) What information can be gleaned from the information about Modern Enterprises? What is
the underlying assumption?
B) How is this analogous to the Law of Definite Composition?
C) Using B for bolt and N for nut write an equation for the assemblage of nuts and bolts for
the assemblage at Modern Enterprises.
3. Home Repair had assembled the nuts and bolts into two groups. One 2500 kg pile had a mass
ratio of 1.000 kg of bolts for every 0.25 kg of nuts. The other pile of 3000 kg of nuts and bolts
had a mass ratio of 1.000 kg of bolts for every 0.50 kg of nuts.
A) What can be known about the two different assembled groups of nuts and bolts? What is
the underlying logic used in making determining the different assemblages?
B) How is this analogous to the Law of Multiple Proportions?
C) Using B for bolts and N for nuts write two equations for each assemblage of nuts and
bolts for the assemblage at Modern Enterprises.
4. Suppose that your company knows the exact mass of these uniform bolts to be 2.00 grams.
What is the total number of the nuts sent to all three subsidiaries?
Three Laws of Matter are:
A) Law of Conservation of Mass
B) Law of Definite Composition (or proportions)
C) Law of Multiple Proportions
4. (First copper oxide experiment.) The formation of copper oxide utilized 63.5 grams of Cu
while reacting in air to form 79.5 grams of copper oxide. What mass of oxygen is
chemically combined to copper in this reaction?
5. Which law of matter is used to make this calculation?
6. How many grams of copper are combined per 1.00 g of oxygen?
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7. (Second copper oxide experiment.) In a separate experiment, 63.5 grams copper were
reacted with a limited amount of oxygen to form 71.5 grams of copper oxide. Is this the
same compound as the copper oxide formed in question 5?
8. Which law of matter is invoked when making this assumption?
9. What is the mass ratio of 1.00 g of oxygen to grams of copper in the second copper oxide
compound?
10. When the amount of oxygen is held constant what is the ratio of copper from experiment
one compared to experiment two?
11. Which law of matter is used in solving question 9?
12. In writing compounds always write the metal before the nonmetal. What is a plausible
formula for both copper oxide compounds?
13. Write an equation for both reactions.