The given percent composition of an organic compound is #48.76% "C"# and #8.04% "H"#. Its molecular mass is #"74 g/mol"#. What are its empirical and chemical formulas?
1 Answer
Since the empirical formula mass is the same as the molecular mass, the empirical and molecular formulas are the same,
Explanation:
Refer to the comments.
The given percent composition of an organic compound is
Since the percentages add up to
Determine the Empirical Formula
An empirical formula represents the lowest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound. To determine the mole ratios, divide the moles of each element by the lowest number of moles,
An empirical formula gives the lowest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound, represented by the subscripts.
Because the mole ratio of carbon is
The empirical formula is
The formula mass for the empirical formula is the sum of the subscripts of each element times its molar mass.
Since the empirical formula mass is the same as the molecular mass, the empirical and molecular formulas are the same,