Question

There is 15.39g of gold for every 2.77g of chlorine. In the other compound, there is 7.74g of gold for every 4.18g of chlorine. What is the ratio of masses of gold in the two compounds?

A. 5.55:1
B. 2.07:1
C. 1.38:1
D. 3.69:1

Answer 1

The ratio of masses of gold in the two compounds is found by dividing the mass of gold by the mass of chlorine for each compound and then finding the ratio between these two values. The ratio of masses of gold in the two compounds is 3.69:1, option D.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the ratio of masses of gold in the two compounds, we need to compare the amount of gold per gram of chlorine in each compound.

For the first compound, we divide the mass of gold by the mass of chlorine: 15.39g Au / 2.77g Cl = 5.5556g Au/g Cl.

For the second compound, we divide the mass of gold by the mass of chlorine: 7.74g Au / 4.18g Cl = 1.8517g Au/g Cl.

Next, we find the ratio of these two results to determine the ratio of masses of gold in the two compounds.

Dividing the larger value by the smaller value gives us: 5.5556 / 1.8517 = 3.00 (rounded to two decimal places).

Therefore, the answer is D. 3.69:1.