Final answer:
Using percent composition, if element X constitutes 96% of the mass and element Z 4%, then assuming a 100 g sample for simplicity, the relative masses of X and Z would be 96 g and 4 g respectively. Thus, the mass ratio of X to Z would be 24 to 1 in a compound with a simplest formula of 1:1. This also indicates that the compound is primarily composed of element X.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the relative masses of elements X and Z with a simplest formula of 1:1 and given that X is 96% by mass and Z is 4.0% by mass, we use the concept of percent composition. First, we establish that the sum of the two percentages equals 100%, which ensures we are on the right track as the entire mass of the compound is accounted for. This also suggests that by mass, the compound is mostly made up of the element X.
Now, assuming a 100 g sample of the compound for easy calculation, X would weigh 96 g and Z would weigh 4 g. Their relative masses in a 1:1 simplest formula would be directly based on these percentages. Therefore, the relative mass of X to Z would be 96 to 4, or in simplest terms, 24:1. This ratio indicates that in a simplest formula compound composed of X and Z, X would be 24 times heavier than Z.
This concept is similar to calculating percent composition which is useful when analyzing compounds and their make-up, such as a compound containing zinc and oxygen. For instance, if a sample of this compound weighing 20 g is decomposed to leave 16.07 g of zinc, the percent composition of zinc can be calculated, revealing the dominance of zinc in the compound's composition.