Question

The empirical formula of styrene is CH; its molar mass is 104.1 g/mol. What is the molecular formula of styrene

Answer 1

• The atomic mass of carbon is 12.011 g/mol.
• The atomic mass of hydrogen is 1.00794 g/mol.

This means the molar mass of CH is

$12.011+1.00794=13.01894 \text{ g/mol}$

Dividing the given molar mass by this,$\frac{104.1}{13.01894} \approx 8$

This means the molecular formula is $\boxed{\text{C}_{8}\text{H}_{8}}$