Multiple proportions incorrect?

[breez]

Doesn't this violate law of multiple proportions?

N2O3 has 2/3 N for every O
NO2 has 1/2 N for every O

(2/3)/(1/2) = 4/3, not a whole number.

 

[Borek]

It is about proportions in compounds, not proportions of proportions :)

 

[Blueshift5]

I would say that this does not necessarily violate the law of multiple proportions. The law states that when elements combine to form different compounds, the ratio of their masses will be in small whole numbers. In this case, the ratios of nitrogen to oxygen in N2O3 and NO2 are both small whole numbers (2:3 and 1:2, respectively). The fact that the ratio between these two ratios is not a whole number does not necessarily invalidate the law. It is possible that there are other factors at play, such as the experimental error or the specific conditions under which these compounds were formed. Further research and experimentation would be needed to fully understand the reason for this discrepancy.