Question

Two samples of lead oxide were separately reduced to metallic lead by heating in a current of hydrogen. The weight of lead from one oxide was half the weight of lead obtained from the other oxide. The data illustrates:
A. Law of reciprocal proportions
B. Law of constant proportions
C. Law of multiple proportions
D. Law of equivalent proportions

Answer 1

Hint: Two specific changes are mentioned here for the process where the conversion takes place in the presence of the same elements. Therefore, the ratio of the elements needs to be determined.

Complete step by step answer:
There are two samples of lead oxide that were reduced using the same heating process. The current of hydrogen is used in the process of reduction so that the lead oxide can be reduced to the specific elements or the components of the compound. The reduction leads to the formation of the metallic lead and that is why if the two samples of lead oxide are chosen there can be different levels of the elements.
The law of multiple proportion states that two elements can form more than one single compound based on the whole number ratio of the mass of one element interacting with the fixed mass of another element.
Therefore, if we consider lead oxide, there can be two compounds formed. One is the plumbous oxide and plumbic oxide. Therefore, based on the mass of the lead involved, the chemical formula differs as well even though the two elements are lead and oxygen only.
Hence after the reduction of lead oxide, the oxygen is removed resulting in the metallic lead left behind. For one of the samples if we consider the weight of lead as $1$ then the other will be $2$ as one is half of the other and hence the ratio of metallic lead for the two compounds will be: $1:2$.
This proves that even through the two compounds are lead oxide the presence of lead differs in the two compounds. Therefore, this proves the law of multiple proportions as the elements can be mixed in multiple proportions forming the compounds. This can be determined because of the reduction pattern of lead oxides.

So, the correct answer is Option C.

Note: Presence of multiple proportions is possible in many elements. Determining the possible whole number ratio of the compound can be the specific process in which this character can be determined.