Pre-Lab: Empirical Formulas

Law of Conservation of Mass

Matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can be converted to different forms

Law of Definite Proportions

A chemical compound contains exactly the same ratio of elements by mass

Law of Multiple Proportions

If multiple compounds can be formed from the same two elements, then the ratios of the masses of the second element that combine with a fixed mass of the first element are small whole numbers

What can we deduce using the law of multiple proportions?

The number of atoms of each element in each molecule of each compound

What happens if a reaction vessel contains a disproportional amount of reactants?

Only those that are in proportion react

What is the limiting reactant?

The reactant that can be used the least in the reaction