N has a mass of 26.19 H has a mass of 8.39 g and Cl has a mass of 65.42. Find the emperical formula?

2 Answers
Apr 3, 2015

You must divide every mass of each element for its molecular weight: N (26,19/14,007= 1,87), H (8,39/1,008=8,32, but maybe they where 7,39 g so you obtain 7,39/1,008=7,33) , Cl (65,42/35,45 =1,84). Now you divide by 4 the rate of H 7,33/4 = 1,83 and you obtain about the same number. This means that the empirical formula of the compound is NH4Cl (ammonium chloride)

Apr 3, 2015

The empirical formula is "N"_2"H"_9"Cl"_2"

Make sure the masses of all the elements add up to 100 g.

"26.19 g + 8.39 g + 65.42 g = 100 g"

Determine moles of each element using the molar mass.

"26.19 g N" x "1 mol N"/"14.0067 g N" = "1.870 mol N"

"8.39 g H" x "1 mol H"/"1.00794 g H" = "8.32 mol H"

"65.42 g Cl" x "1 mol Cl"/"35.453 g Cl" = 1.845 mol Cl"#

Determine mole ratios by dividing the moles for each element by the lowest number of moles.

N: "1.870 mol"/"1.845 mol" = "1.014"

H: "8.32 mol"/"1.854 mol" = "4.51"

Cl: "1.854 mol"/"1.854 mol" = "1.000"

Multiply the mole ratios times 2 in order to make the mole ratio for oxygen a whole number..

Empirical formula is "N"_2"H"_9"Cl"_2"