`6g` of a hydrocarbon on combustion in excess of oxygen produces `17.6g` of `CO_(2)` and `10.8g` of `H_(2)O`. The data illustrates the law of `:`

Options

A. conservation of mass
B. multiple proportions
C. constant proportions
D. reciprocal proportions

Explanation

To solve the question, we will analyze the combustion of a hydrocarbon and how it illustrates the law of conservation of mass. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the solution:

### Step 1: Identify the Given Data
We have the following data:
- Mass of hydrocarbon = 6 g
- Mass of carbon dioxide produced (CO₂) = 17.6 g
- Mass of water produced (H₂O) = 10.8 g

### Step 2: Calculate the Mass of Carbon in CO₂
The molecular weight of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is 44 g, which contains 12 g of carbon. We can set up a proportion to find the mass of carbon in the produced CO₂:

\[ \text{Mass of Carbon} = \left(\frac{12 \text{ g C}}{44 \text{ g CO₂}}\right) \times 17.6 \text{ g CO₂} \]

Calculating this gives:

\[ \text{Mass of Carbon} = \left(\frac{12}{44}\right) \times 17.6 = 4.8 \text{ g} \]

### Step 3: Calculate the Mass of Hydrogen in H₂O
The molecular weight of water (H₂O) is 18 g, which contains 2 g of hydrogen. We can set up a similar proportion to find the mass of hydrogen in the produced H₂O:

\[ \text{Mass of Hydrogen} = \left(\frac{2 \text{ g H}}{18 \text{ g H₂O}}\right) \times 10.8 \text{ g H₂O} \]

Calculating this gives:

\[ \text{Mass of Hydrogen} = \left(\frac{2}{18}\right) \times 10.8 = 1.2 \text{ g} \]

### Step 4: Calculate the Total Mass of Products
Now, we can add the masses of carbon and hydrogen obtained from the combustion products:

\[ \text{Total Mass of Products} = \text{Mass of Carbon} + \text{Mass of Hydrogen} = 4.8 \text{ g} + 1.2 \text{ g} = 6 \text{ g} \]

### Step 5: Compare with the Mass of Hydrocarbon
The initial mass of the hydrocarbon before combustion was 6 g. The total mass of the products (carbon and hydrogen) after combustion is also 6 g.

### Conclusion
Since the mass of the reactants (the hydrocarbon) equals the mass of the products (the carbon and hydrogen produced), this illustrates the **law of conservation of mass**, which states that mass can neither be created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.

### Final Answer
The data illustrates the law of **conservation of mass**.

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