Final answer:
To find the compound with the highest proportion of nitrogen, percent composition calculations are necessary for each. Ammonium nitrate, known for its high nitrogen content, is a potential candidate, but exact percentages require molecular weight comparison. The key to the decision lies in the nitrogen content relative to the total molecular weight.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine which of the given compounds has the greatest proportion by mass of nitrogen, we need to calculate the percent composition of nitrogen in each compound. This is done by taking the mass of the nitrogen atoms in the formula relative to the total mass of the formula, and then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage.
Ignoring any typos in the initial question, let's look at the compounds:
- Ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3)
- Ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4)
- Ammonium phosphate (we'll consider both monoammonium phosphate (NH4H2PO4) and diammonium phosphate ((NH4)2HPO4), as the most common grades are 11-52-0 and 18-46-0 respectively)
- Aluminium nitrate (Al(NO3)3)
The comparison of these compounds by the mass percentage of nitrogen is only possible after calculations based on their molecular weights and the mass of nitrogen within each compound.
Considering the fact that ammonium nitrate decomposes into nitrogenous products, undergoes mass-mass stoichiometry, and according to the law of conservation of mass, the total mass of products equals the total mass of the reactants, we can further illustrate that ammonium nitrate is highly nitrogenous.