Final answer:
The compound I has a copper-to-chlorine ratio of approximately 1.79 g Cu to 1 g Cl, while for Compound B the ratio simplifies to about 0.896 g Cu to 1 g Cl, giving us a simplest whole number ratio of 2 to 1 for the copper-to-chlorine mass ratio.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the simple whole number ratio for copper (Cu) and chlorine (Cl) in the two compounds, we use the law of multiple proportions. This law states that when two elements form more than one compound, the masses of one element that combine with a fixed mass of the other element are in a ratio of small whole numbers.
For Compound I:
We have 64.20% Cu and 35.80% Cl. So, for every 1.00 g of Cl, there are approximately 1.79 g of Cu (64.20% divided by 35.80%).
For Compound II:
We have again 64.20% Cu and 52.73% Cl. For every 1.00 g of Cl, there are approximately 1.22 g of Cu (64.20% divided by 52.73%).
Comparing these two ratios for Compound I and Compound II (1.79 to 1.22), we find the simplest whole number ratio by dividing the larger by the smaller which gives approximately 1.47. This is not a whole number, but upon examining the original percent compositions, it appears there may be a mistake since the percentages do not add up to 100% for Compound II. If the masses given in the reference information (7.53 g Cu and 8.40 g Cl for Compound B) are correct, we can use these values to calculate the correct ratios.
For Compound A, we use the ratio 1.79 g Cu to 1.00 g Cl. For Compound B, we use the ratio 7.53 g Cu to 8.40 g Cl, which simplifies to approximately 0.896 g Cu to 1.00 g Cl. Therefore, the simplest whole number ratio is 1.79/0.896 which gives exactly 2.00, representing the copper-to-chlorine mass ratio as 2 to 1.