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Question

(a) The compound A has the following percentage composition by mass:

Carbon 26.7%, oxygen 71.1%, hydrogen 2.2%. Determine the empirical formula for A (Answer to one decimal place)

[H=1,C=12,O=16]


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Solution

Given information

  • The percentage composition of CarbonC=26.7%
  • Atomic weight of C=12g.
  • The percentage composition of OxygenO=71.1%
  • Atomic weight of O=16g.
  • The percentage composition of HydrogenH=2.2%
  • Atomic weight of H=1g.

Formulas for the calculation of atomic ratio and simplest ratio

  • The atomic ratio is calculated by dividing the percentage composition of each element by its atomic weight.

Atomicratio=PercentagecompositionofanelementAtomicweightofanelement

  • The simplest ratio is calculated by dividing the atomic ratio of each element by the smallest atomic ratio.

Simplestratio=AtomicratioofanelementSmallestatomicratio

Determination of empirical formula

ElementPercentage compositionAtomic weightAtomic ratioSimplest ratio
C26.71226.712=2.22.22.2=1
O71.11671.116=4.44.42.2=2
H2.212.21=2.22.22.2=1
  • The simplest ratio of C:O:H=1:2:1, which is a whole number ratio.
  • Thus, the empirical formula of the compound A is CO2H.

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