Chemistry

The key is recognizing that a metal hydride $\text{M}_x\text{H}_y$ contains both metal and hydrogen by mass—and you can use their mass ratio to find the metal's equivalent weight. Since equivalent weight relates to how many hydrogen atoms (or electron equivalents) an element can bond with, find the mass of metal, then use the hydrogen content to determine the valence. The ratio of hydrogen mass to metal mass reveals the stoichiometry, which directly gives you the equivalent weight.

The key is recognizing that a metal hydride $\text{M}_x\text{H}_y$ contains both metal and hydrogen by mass—and you can use their mass ratio to find the metal's equivalent weight. Since equivalent weight relates to how many hydrogen atoms (or electron equivalents) an element can bond with, find the mass of metal, then use the hydrogen content to determine the valence. The ratio of hydrogen mass to metal mass reveals the stoichiometry, which directly gives you the equivalent weight.