When Dalton began his calculations to determine atomic masses he had to make a number of assumptions, including 1) all elements are monoatomic; and 2) simple compounds composed of just 2 elements occur with 1:1 formulas.     Using the mass percentage of each element in water, H(11.19%)O(88.81%), Dalton determined the atomic mass of O to be 7.9 times that of H which he assumed to have a mass of 1.  He recognized that his method was correct, but his answer was incorrect.   Use the following two compounds composed of nitrogen and hydrogen, calculate the mass of nitrogen (assume the atomic mass of H is 1, just as Dalton did) and then suggest why the method for Compound 1 gives the incorrect answer but the analogous calculation for Compound 2 provides the correct answer for the mass of nitrogen.  Show all your work Compound 1.  N(82.25%)H(17.75%)   Compound 2.  N(93.29%)H(6.71%)   What additional piece of information do you need in the calculation with Compound 1 to come up with the correct answer for the atomic mass of the nitrogen atom?

Chemistry
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ISBN:9781305957404
Author:Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste
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Chapter2: Atoms, Molecules, And Ions
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 125CP: Each of the following statements is true, but Dalton might have had trouble explaining some of them...
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When Dalton began his calculations to determine atomic masses he had to make a number of assumptions, including 1) all elements are monoatomic; and 2) simple compounds composed of just 2 elements occur with 1:1 formulas.  

 

Using the mass percentage of each element in water, H(11.19%)O(88.81%), Dalton determined the atomic mass of O to be 7.9 times that of H which he assumed to have a mass of 1.  He recognized that his method was correct, but his answer was incorrect.

 

Use the following two compounds composed of nitrogen and hydrogen, calculate the mass of nitrogen (assume the atomic mass of H is 1, just as Dalton did) and then suggest why the method for

Compound 1 gives the incorrect answer but the analogous calculation for Compound 2 provides the correct answer for the mass of nitrogen.  Show all your work

Compound 1.  N(82.25%)H(17.75%)

 

Compound 2.  N(93.29%)H(6.71%)

 

What additional piece of information do you need in the calculation with Compound 1 to come up with the correct answer for the atomic mass of the nitrogen atom?

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