Question

An unknown compound was decomposed and found to be composed of 1.36 mol oxygen, 4.10 mol hydrogen, and 2.05 mol carbon. What is the empirical formula of the unknown compound?

a-C2H4O
b-CH3O
c-C3H6O2
d-C2H3O

Answer 1

The empirical formula of the unknown compound is C1.5H3O.

Step-by-step explanation:

The empirical formula of the unknown compound can be determined by finding the ratios of the number of moles of each element. In this case, there are 2.05 moles of carbon, 4.10 moles of hydrogen, and 1.36 moles of oxygen. To find the empirical formula, divide each mole value by the smallest value, which in this case is 1.36 moles of oxygen. This gives a ratio of 1.5 moles of carbon, 3 moles of hydrogen, and 1 mole of oxygen. Therefore, the empirical formula of the unknown compound is C1.5H3O.