Q.Write and explain the law of constant proportion.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Law of Constant Proportion: a compound always has the same elements in the same fixed mass ratio, however it is made.
The Law of Constant (or Definite) Proportion, proposed by Joseph Proust (1799), states: 'A given chemical compound always contains the same elements combined together in the same proportion by mass.' This proportion does not depend on the source of the compound or the method used to prepare it.
Explanation with example: Pure water (H2O), whether obtained from a river, from rain, or synthesized in the laboratory by burning hydrogen in oxygen, always contains hydrogen and oxygen combined in the same fixed mass ratio of 1:8 (i.e., 2 g of hydrogen combines with 16 g of oxygen to give 18 g of water). Similarly, carbon dioxide obtained from any source always contains carbon and oxygen in a fixed mass ratio of 3:8. This law confirmed that compoun …
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