Chapter 2, Problem 95MP

You have gone back in time and are working with Daltonon a table of relative masses. Following are his data:

0.602 g gas A reacts with 0.295 g gas B
0.172 g gas B reacts with 0.401 g gas C
0.320 g gas A reacts with 0.374 g gas C

a. Assuming simplest formulas (AB, BC, and AC), construct a table of relative masses for Dalton.
b. Knowing some history of chemistry, you tell Daltonthat if he determines the volumes of the gases reactedat constant temperature and pressure, he need notassume simplest formulas. You collect the following data:

$\begin{array}{l}\text{6 volumes gas A+1 volume gas B }\to \text{4 volumes product}\hfill \\ \text{1 volume gas B+4 volumes gas C}\to \text{ 4 volumes product}\hfill \\ \text{3 volumes gas A+2 volumes gas C }\to \text{6 volumes product}\hfill \end{array}$

Write the simplest balanced equations, and find theactual relative masses of the elements. Explain yourreasoning.