The laws of chemical combination describe the fundamental principles followed by interacting atoms and molecules, interactions that can include a wide range of combinations that occur in a variety of ways. These laws govern the chemical combinations of elements and compounds and are as follows:
-
Law of Conservation of Mass: The total mass of the reactants in a chemical reaction is equal to the total mass of the products.
-
Law of Definite Proportions: A chemical compound always contains the same elements in the same proportion by mass.
-
Law of Multiple Proportions: When two elements combine to form more than one compound, the masses of one element that combine with a fixed mass of the other element are in ratios of small whole numbers.
-
Gay-Lussac’s Law of Gaseous Volumes: When gases react, they do so in volumes that are in the ratio of small whole numbers.
-
Avogadro’s Law: Equal volumes of gases at the same temperature and pressure contain equal numbers of molecules.
These laws help us understand the chemical reactions that occur in nature and allow us to balance chemical equations.
