A solution of 2.50 g of a compound having the empirical formula C6H5P in 25.0 g of benzene(C6H6) is observed to freeze at 4.3 degrees C. Calculate the molar mass of the solute and its molecular formula.

3 answers

I think I got the answer.

Molar Mass = 119 g/mol

Molecular formula is the same = C6H5P
I wonder how you came up with 119 g/mol?
delta T = Kf*m
5.5-4.3 = 1.2 for delta T.
I found Kf = 4.90
1.2 = 4.90*m
m = 1.2/4.90 = 0.2449
m = moles/kg solvent
moles = m*kg solvent = 0.2449*0.025 = 0.00612 moles.
moles = grams/molar mass or
molar mass = grams/moles = 2.50g/0.00612 = about 400 or so. Check my work.
Explanation:
The idea here is that you need to use the freezing-point depression equation to determine what the molality of the solution.

Once you have the solution's molality, use it to find the number of moles of solute it contains.

As you know, the equation for freezing-point depression looks like this

ΔTf=i⋅Kf⋅b
, where
ΔTf - the freezing-point depression;
i - the van't Hoff factor
Kf - the cryoscopic constant of the solvent;
b- the molality of the solution.
The cryoscopic constant of benzene is equal to 5.12∘C kg mol−1
You're dealing with a non-electrolyte, which means that the van't Hoff factor will be equal to 1.

The freezing-point depression is defined asΔTf=T∘f−Tf, where
T∘f - the freezing point of the pure solvent
Tf- the freezing point of the solution

Pure benzene freezes at
5.5∘C, which means that the freezing-point depression will be
ΔTf=5.5∘C−4.3∘C=1.2∘C

Plug in your values and solve for b, the molality of the solution
ΔTf=i⋅Kf⋅b⇒b=ΔTfi⋅Kf
b=1.2∘C1⋅5.12∘Ckg mol−1=0.2344 mol kg−1
As you know, molality is defined as moles of solute per kilograms of solvent.
b=n solute/m solvent

In your case, you have a mass of
25.0 g
of benzene, which means that the solution will contain
b=n solute/m solvent⇒n solute=b×m solvent
n solute=0.2344 molkg−1⋅25.0⋅10−3kg

n solute=0.00586 moles

Now, molar mass is defined as the mass of one mole of a substance. In your case, the
2.50-g
of solute contain a total of
0.00586
moles, which means that the molar mass will be

MM=2.50 g/0.00586 moles=426.6 g/mol

As you know, a compound's empirical formula tells you what the smallest whole number ratio that exists between the elements that make up said compound is.

The molecular formula, which tells you exactly how many atoms of each element are needed to form the compound, will always be a multiple of the empirical formula.

In this case, calculate the molar mass of the empirical formula by adding the molar masses of all of its constituent elements
6×12.011 g/mol+5×1.00794 g/mol+1×30.974 g/mol=108.08 g/mol

You can thus say that
108.08g/mol⋅n=426.6g/mol

This will get you
n=426.6/108.08=3.95≈4

The compound's molecular formula will be
(C6H5P)4⇒C24H20P4→ 1, 2, 3, 4 - tetraphenyltetraphosphetane