Question

A compound contains 1.10 mol of K, 055 mol of Te, and 1.65 mol O. What is the simplest formula of this compound?

Answer 1

If we assume you meant `0.55*mol` `"tellurium"`, we get an `"empirical formula"` of `K_2TeO_3`.

Explanation:

We divide thru by the SMALLEST molar quantity, that of tellurium, to get an empirical formula.

`"Moles of tellurium"` `=` `(0.55*mol)/(0.55*mol)=1`

`"Moles of potassium"` `=` `(1.10*mol)/(0.55*mol)=2`

`"Moles of oxygen"` `=` `(1.65*mol)/(0.55*mol)=3`

And thus the empirical formula is `K_2TeO_3`.

All I have done is to divide thru by the SMALLEST MOLAR QUANTITY.