Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
A sample of an unknown compound was decomposed and found to be composed of 1.36 mol of oxygen, 4.10 mol of hydrogen, and 2.05 mol of carbon. What is the empirical formula of the unknown compound?
A
CH2O
B
C2H4O
C
C2H5O
D
C3H6O2
Verified step by step guidance
1
Start by identifying the number of moles of each element present in the compound: Oxygen (O) = 1.36 mol, Hydrogen (H) = 4.10 mol, Carbon (C) = 2.05 mol.
To find the empirical formula, divide the number of moles of each element by the smallest number of moles present among the elements. In this case, the smallest number of moles is 1.36 mol (Oxygen).
Calculate the ratio for each element: \( \frac{1.36}{1.36} \) for Oxygen, \( \frac{4.10}{1.36} \) for Hydrogen, and \( \frac{2.05}{1.36} \) for Carbon.
Round the ratios to the nearest whole number to determine the subscripts for each element in the empirical formula. If any ratio is not a whole number, multiply all ratios by the same factor to achieve whole numbers.
Combine the elements with their respective subscripts to write the empirical formula of the compound.