A sample of indium weighing 0.500 g is found to contain 0.2404 g of chlorine. What is the emprical formula of the indium compound? What is the charge of the indium compound?

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Answer 1 · 2018-02-08T19:30:04

We get an empirical formula of #InCl_3#...

We establish the moles of indium....

#"Moles of indium"=(0.500*g-0.2404*g)/(114.8*g*mol^-1)=2.26xx10^-3*mol#

...and moles of chlorine present in the given mass....

#"Moles of chlorine"=(0.2404*g)/(35.45*g*mol^-1)=6.78xx10^-3*mol#

We divide thru by the lowest molar quantity...

#In_((2.26xx10^-3*mol)/(2.26xx10^-3*mol))Cl_((6.78xx10^-3*mol)/(2.26xx10^-3*mol))=InCl_3#

And thus we get an empirical formula, the simplest whole number ratio defining constituent atoms in a species of #InCl_3#...

We would typically formulate this compound as the SALT of #In^(3+)# and #Cl^(-)#. The charge of the salt is of course NEUTRAL.