A compound contains 40% carbon, 6.7% hydrogen and 53.3% oxygen by mass. Calculate the empirical formula of the compound.
Explanation
To calculate the empirical formula, we first assume a 100g sample of the compound. This gives us 40g of carbon, 6.7g of hydrogen, and 53.3g of oxygen. We then convert these masses to moles: carbon = 40/12 = 3.33 mol, hydrogen = 6.7/1 = 6.7 mol, oxygen = 53.3/16 = 3.33 mol. We then divide each of these by the smallest number of moles (3.33) to get the simplest whole number ratio: carbon = 1, hydrogen = 2, oxygen = 1. Therefore, the empirical formula is CH2O.
⬆ Related Topic
📘 Syllabus
📝 Practice Questions
Practice Previous Year Questions →
🤖 Practice with AI
Generate Practice Question Paper →