Laws of Chemical Combination

Flashcards covering the fundamental laws of chemistry, their origins, definitions, and limitations based on lecture notes.

Law of Conservation of Mass

The law stating that in a chemical reaction, the total mass of the products is equal to the total mass of the reactants that have combined, and mass can neither be created nor destroyed.

Law of Indestructibility of Matter

An alternative name for the Law of Conservation of Mass.

Nuclear reactions

The specific type of reactions to which the Law of Conservation of Mass is not applicable.

Law of Constant Proportion

Given by Joseph Proust in $1799$, it states a pure chemical compound always consists of the same elements combined in a fixed proportion by mass.

Law of Definite Composition

Another name for the Law of Constant Proportion.

Isotopes

A limitation of the Law of Constant Proportion, as the law is not applicable if the element has different variants of these.

$$C_2H_6O$$

An example chemical formula used to show that same elements can combine in the same ratio but form different compounds like Ether ($CH_3-0-CH_2$) and Alcohol ($C_2H_5-OH$).

Law of Multiple Proportions

Given by Dalton in $1803$, it states that when two elements form two or more compounds, the masses of one element which combine with a fixed mass of the other bear a simple whole number ratio.

Law of Reciprocal Proportions

Given in $1792$ by Richter, it states that the ratio of masses of two elements $A$ and $B$ which combine with a fixed mass of a third element $C$ is the same or a simple multiple of the ratio of the masses in which $A$ and $B$ combine with each other.

Gay-Lussac's Law of Gaseous Volumes

The law stating that when gases react together, they do so in volumes which bear a simple ratio to one another and to the volume of the product, provided temperature and pressure are the same.

$$1:1:2$$

The volume ratio for the reaction $H_2 + Cl_2 \rightarrow 2HCl$ as an example of Gay-Lussac's Law.