LAW OF RECIPROCAL PROPORTION

 by Eeshan Baheti

In this blog, I will be explaining all about law of reciprocal proportion.

So let's begin into this topic.

LAW OF RECIPROCAL PROPORTION

The law of reciprocal proportion was proposed by Jeremias Richter in 1792. 

It states that, if two different elements combine separately with the same weight 

of a third element, the ratio of the masses in which they do so are either 

the same or a simple multiple of the mass ratio in which they combine. 

According to this law, if there are three elements A, B and C and the ratio by mass of two

elements A and B which combine separately with a fixed mass of the third element C 

is either same or in simple multiple ratio by mass in which A and B combine directly with each other.

This law can be stated in more simplified terms by the following examples type illustrations.

In this example illustration, elements C and O combine separately with the third 

element H to form CH4 AND H2O and they combine directly with each other to form 

CO2 as shown in the above provided figure. In CH4, 12 parts by weight of 

carbon combine with 4 parts by weight of hydrogen. In H2O, 2 parts by weight of 

hydrogen combine with 16 parts by weight of oxygen. The weights of C and O which combine

with fixed weights of hydrogen (say 4 parts of weight) are 12 and 32. Thus, we can 

say that they are in the ratio of 12 : 32 which is simplified into 3 : 8.

Now in CO2, 12 parts by weight of carbon combine directly with 32 parts by 

weight of oxygen. Thus, they combine directly into the ratio of 12 : 32 or simply 3 : 8

which is same as the first ratio.

So, this was the first example illustration of law of reciprocal proportion

I will be showing you another example illustration below.

In this example illustration the elements H and O combine separately with 

the third element S to form H2S and SO2 and they combine

directly with each other to form H2O as shown in the figure above. As shown in the

figure above , the weights of H and O which combine with the fixed weight 

of S which is 32 parts are 2 and 32. Thus, they are in the ratio of 2 : 32 or simply 1 : 16.

When H and O combine directly to form H2O, the ratio of their combining

weights are 2 : 16 or simply 1 : 8. But this ratio is not the same as the ratio above 

that is 1 : 16.

But this ratio formed is similar as the two ratios are related to such other 1/16 : 1/8 = 1:2. 

Thus, these ratios are a simple multiple of each other.

These were the two example illustration I provided you to explain you the complex

topic of law of reciprocal proportion. I will provide you with question - answer 

tutorials of laws of reciprocal proportion. 

If you have any doubts about law of reciprocal proportion or any of the topic of

science, please leave a comment or ask me the doubt on my telegram channel.

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