Question

Nitrogen forms the following oxides with oxygen :

(A) $N _{2} O$

(B) $N O$

(C) $N _{2} O _{3}$

(D) $NO _{2}$

(E) $N _{2} O _{5}$

Show that for a fixed mass of nitrogen, the mass of oxygen in the five oxides are in the ratios of small integers.

Answer 1

Oxides of Nitrogen	Weight of Nitrogen	Weight of Oxygen
N₂O	28	16
NO	14	16
N₂O3	28	48
NO₂	14	32
N₂O5	28	80

In these oxides, different weights of oxygen which combine with a fixed weight (14 g) of nitrogen are $8,16,24,32$ and 40 respectively. Hence the ratio between the different weights of oxygen which combine with a fixed weight of nitrogen is :

8: 16: 24: 32: 40 or  1: 2: 3: 4: 5 which is a simple whole number ratio.