Question

An oily liquid with a cheesy, waxy odor like that of goats or other barnyard animals is caproic acid, a compound containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Combustion analysis of a 4.30-g sample of caproic acid produced 9.78 gCO2 and 4 gH2O.
Find the empirical formula for caproic acid.

Answer 1

The empirical formula for the caproic acid, given the combustion analysis data is C₃H₆O

We'll begin bey obtaining the mass of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in the compound. This is illustrated below:

How to determine the mass of C

• Mass of CO₂ = 9.78 g
• Molar mass of CO₂ = 44 g/mol
• Molar of C = 12 g/mol
• Mass of C =?

Mass of C = (12 / 44) × 9.78

Mass of C = 2.67 g

How to determine the mass of H

• Mass of H₂O = 20.99 g
• Molar mass of H₂O = 18 g/mol
• Molar of H = 2 × 1 = 2 g/mol
• Mass of H =?

Mass of H = (2 / 18) × 4

Mass of H = 0.44 g

How to determine the mass of O

• Mass of compound = 4.30 g
• Mass of C = 2.67 g
• Mass of H = 0.44 g
• Mass of O =?

Mass of O = (mass of compound) – (mass of C + mass of H)

Mass of O = 4.30 – (2.67 + 0.44)

Mass of O = 1.19 g

How to determine the empirical formula

The empirical formula of the compound can be obtained as follow:

• C = 2.67 g
• H = 0.44 g
• O = 1.19 g
• Empirical formula =?

Divide by their molar mass

C = 2.67 / 12 = 0.2225

H = 0.44 / 1 = 0.44

O = 1.19 / 16 = 0.074

Divide by the smallest

C = 0.2225 / 0.074 = 3

H = 0.44 / 0.0744 = 6

O = 0.074 / 0.074 = 1

Thus, the empirical formula of the compound is C₃H₆O

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