# What is the percent composition of a compound containing tin and chlorine if 18.35 g of the compound contains 5.74 g of tin?

Jul 28, 2016

The compound is $\text{31.3 % Sn}$ and $\text{68.72 % Cl}$ by mass.

#### Explanation:

The formula for percent composition is

color(blue)(|bar(ul(color(white)(a/a) "% by mass" = "mass of component"/"mass of sample" × 100 %color(white)(a/a)|)))" "

We must therefore find the masses of tin and of chlorine in the sample:

$\text{Mass of compound"color(white)(l) =color(white)(l) "18.35 g}$
$\text{Mass of Sn"color(white)(mmmm) = color(white)(m)"5.74 g}$
stackrel(——————————————)("Mass of Cl"color(white)(mmmm) =color(white)(ll) "12.61 g")

"% Sn" = "mass of Sn"/"mass of compound" × 100 % = (5.74 color(red)(cancel(color(black)("g"))))/(18.35 color(red)(cancel(color(black)("g")))) × 100 % = 31.3 %

"% Cl" = "mass of Cl"/"mass of compound" × 100 % = (12.61 color(red)(cancel(color(black)("g"))))/(18.35 color(red)(cancel(color(black)("g")))) × 100 % = 68.72 %