Question

A sample of an unknown biochemical compound is found to have a percent composition of 45.46 percent carbon, 7.63 percent hydrogen, 10.60 percent nitrogen and the balance oxygen. What is the simplest formula for this compound?

Answer 1

Answer:

Formular = C₅H₁₁NO₃

Explanation:

The empirical formular is the simplest formular of a compound can have.

We use the steps below to obtain the empirical formular;

Step 1: Obtain the mass of each element present in grams. Element % = mass in g = m.

Carbon = 45.46% = 45.46g

Hydrogen = 7.63% = 7.63g

Nitrogen = 10% = 10g

Oxygen = 100% - (45.46% + 7.63% + 10%) = 36.31% = 36.31g

Step 2: Determine the number of moles of each type of atom present.

Molar amount (M) = m/atomic mass

Carbon = 45.46 / 12 = 3.7883

Hydrogen = 7.63 / 1 = 7.63

Nitrogen = 10 / 14 = 0.7143

Oxygen = 36.91 / 16 = 2.3069

Step 3: Divide the number of moles of each element by the smallest number of moles. Smallest = 0.7143

Carbon = 3.7883 / 0.7143 = 5.3035

Hydrogen = 7.63 / 0.7143 = 10.67

Nitrogen =  0.7143 / 0.7143 = 1

Oxygen = 2.2693 / 0.7143 = 3.1770

Step 4: Convert numbers to whole numbers

Carbon = 5

Hydrogen = 11

Nitrogen = 1

Oxygen = 3

Formular = C₅H₁₁NO₃