A 2.20 g-sample of a compound containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen is burned and it produces 4.61 g CO2 and 0.94 g H2O. What is the empirical formula of this compound?
4 answers
Try converting everything into moles and comparing what you started with and what you ended up with. That'll help you figure out the ratio between the products and reactants. This in turn will help you determine how to write out the balanced chemical equation that you can look at to determine how much of each element comprises the compound.
Convert 4.61 g CO2 to g C.
4.61 x (atomic mass C/molar mass CO2) = ?
Convert 0.94 g H2O to g H.
0.94 x (2*atomic mass H/molar mass H2O) = ?
g O = 2.20- g H - g C = ?
Convert grams to mols
mols C = grams/atomic mass C
mols H = grams/atomic mass H
mols O = grams/atomic mass O
Now convert those mols C,H,& O to ratio with the smallest number being 1.00. The easiest way to do that is to divide the smallest number by itself (which makes it 1.000), then divide the other numbers by the same small number. Post your work if you get stuck.
4.61 x (atomic mass C/molar mass CO2) = ?
Convert 0.94 g H2O to g H.
0.94 x (2*atomic mass H/molar mass H2O) = ?
g O = 2.20- g H - g C = ?
Convert grams to mols
mols C = grams/atomic mass C
mols H = grams/atomic mass H
mols O = grams/atomic mass O
Now convert those mols C,H,& O to ratio with the smallest number being 1.00. The easiest way to do that is to divide the smallest number by itself (which makes it 1.000), then divide the other numbers by the same small number. Post your work if you get stuck.
C2H9O10
It's c2h2o
1 answer