A welding fuel gas combines carbon and Hydrogen only. On burning it gives 3.38g of CO2 and 0.690g of water and no other products. A volume of 10L (STP) of this gas found to weigh 11.6g. Calculate empirical formula.
(i) Empirical formula
1 mole of CO2 contains 12 g of carbon
Therefore, 3.38 g of CO2 will contain carbon
= 12g44g×3.38g
= 0.9217 g
18 g of water contains 2 g of hydrogen
Therefore, 0.690 g of water will contain hydrogen
= 2g18g×0.690
= 0.0767 g
As hydrogen and carbon are the only elements of the compound. Now, the total mass is:
= 0.9217 g + 0.0767 g
= 0.9984 g
Therefore, % of C in the compound
= 0.9217g0.9984g×100
= 92.32 %
% of H in the compound
= 0.0767g0.9984g×100
= 7.68 %
Moles of C in the compound,
= 92.3212.00
= 7.69
Moles of H in the compound,
= 7.681
= 7.68
Therefore, the ratio of carbon to hydrogen is,
7.69: 7.68
1: 1
Therefore, the empirical formula is CH.