[banne01]

I am having trouble with one homework problem and cannot get past it.  Maybe I am making it over complicated? --   Here is the problem:

Given:  A 7.38g sample of HCN contains 0.273g of H and 3.83g of N

Problem:  Find the mass of C in a sample of HCN with a mass of 3.40g.

Any help greatly appreciated!

[Borek]

What have you tried?

[banne01]

I tried taking the given information,  subtracting the 2 given masses from it to get the mass of carbon in that which came to:  3.5227.

I tried finding a relation ship of ratio between the masses 3 elements and their masses in this compound but haven't really noticed anything there that I can figure out or that will tell me where to go with the problem it is asking for.  I was trying to use the law of definite proportions in some way.

[Dan]

I tried taking the given information,  subtracting the 2 given masses from it to get the mass of carbon in that which came to:  3.5227.

7.38 - 0.273 - 3.83 ≠ 3.5227 so I can't see what you did there.

If a crate of 738 apples contains 4428 apple seeds, how many apple seeds in one apple? How many apple seeds in 240 apples?

[banne01]

You are correct,  I fat fingered that and hit a 5 when typing it in.  The answer should have read 3.277.

I see where you were going with the apples.  6 seeds per apple and then 1440 seeds in 240 apples.

I took the 7.38 and divided by 3.277 and got 2.2520.   Then,  I took the 3.40/2.250 and got 1.5097.... (1.51) for the answer which came back as correct!!!

Thank you VERY much!!!