The volumetric composition of water is

Options

A. 1 : 2 ratio of hydrogen and oxygen, respectively
B. 1 : 8 ratio of hydrogen and oxygen, respectively
C. 1 : 1 ratio of hydrogen and oxygen, respectively
D. 2 : 1 ratio of hydrogen and oxygen, respectively

Explanation

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Water's Composition**: Water is a chemical compound with the formula H₂O, which means it consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

2. **Identifying the Gases**: In terms of gases, water is composed of hydrogen gas (H₂) and oxygen gas (O₂).

3. **Determining the Volume Ratio**: The volumetric composition refers to the ratio of the volumes of these gases when they combine to form water. Since there are two hydrogen atoms for every one oxygen atom in water, the volume of hydrogen gas is double that of oxygen gas.

4. **Establishing the Ratio**: Therefore, if we consider the volume of oxygen gas as 1 unit, the volume of hydrogen gas would be 2 units. This gives us a volumetric ratio of hydrogen to oxygen as 2:1.

5. **Evaluating the Options**: Now we need to check the given options:
- Option 1: 1:2 (This is incorrect as it suggests more oxygen than hydrogen)
- Option 2: 1:8 (This is incorrect as it does not reflect the actual ratio)
- Option 3: 1:1 (This is incorrect as it suggests equal volumes of hydrogen and oxygen)
- Option 4: 2:1 (This is correct as it accurately represents the volumetric composition of water)

6. **Conclusion**: The correct volumetric composition of water is 2:1, meaning there are two volumes of hydrogen gas for every one volume of oxygen gas.