Answer is: elements are always combined in the same proportion by mass.
Law of multiple proportions or Dalton's Law said that the ratios of the masses of the second element which combine with a fixed mass of the first element will be ratios of small whole numbers.
For example, nitrogen(I) oxide N₂O; m(N) : m(O) = 2·14 : 16 = 7 : 4.
Another example, water (H₂O) is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom:
m(H) : m(O) = 2·1 : 16 = 1: 8.
