Two separate laboratory bottles are labeled “carbon monoxide.” • Sample A contains…
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Problem
Two separate laboratory bottles are labeled “carbon monoxide.”
• Sample A contains 1.00 g of carbon and 1.33 g of oxygen.
• Sample B contains 1.00 g of carbon and 2.66 g of oxygen.
Which explanation is most consistent with these data?
(a) Both bottles contain carbon monoxide; the apparent doubling of oxygen mass is simply due to different sample sizes, not different compounds.
(b) Sample A is more likely carbon dioxide because its oxygen-to-carbon mass ratio is closer to 2:1, the ratio in CO2.},{
(c) Sample B is more likely carbon dioxide than carbon monoxide because its oxygen-to-carbon mass ratio is exactly double that of Sample A.
(d) Both bottles could still be carbon monoxide if Sample B’s oxygen were the heavier isotope 18O, which would double the oxygen mass without changing the formula.