Question

1. What is the empirical formula of a compound that contains 0.783g of C, 0.196g of H and 0.521g of O?

Answer 1

Answer:

The empirical formula of the compound with the data in the question is C2H6O

Explanation:

What we need to do here is to divide the individual masses of the elements by their atomic masses.

The atomic mass of oxygen is 16 a.m.u

The atomic mass of hydrogen is 1 a.m.u

The atomic mass of carbon is 12 a.m.u

Thus, we proceed as follows;

C = 0.783/12 = 0.06525

O = 0.521/16 = 0.0325625

H = 0.196/1 = 0.196

What is next here is to divide each of the values we have gotten above by the smallest value we have obtained. The smallest value we have obtained is that of oxygen which is 0.0325625

Hence, we have;

C = 0.06525/0.0325625 = 2.00

O= 0.0325625/0.0325625 = 1

H = 0.196/0.0325625 = 6

Thus, the empirical formula will be C2H6O