Answer: the molecular formula of the compound is Fe4O5
Explanation: According to the provided data, it can be inferred that the chemical compound is comprised of 72.3% iron and 27.7% oxygen in terms of their respective masses. Assuming a sample mass of 100 g of the compound, it can be postulated that the sample would comprise of:
A mass of 72.3 grams of iron (Fe) was measured.
A quantity of 27.7 grams of oxygen (O) was measured.
To determine the empirical formula, it is essential to transform the given masses into moles by utilizing their corresponding atomic masses.
The molar quantity of Fe can be computed by dividing the given mass of 72.3 grams by the molar mass of iron, which is 55.85 grams per mole. Employing this formula, we obtain a value of 1.294 moles for the quantity of Fe.
The number of moles of O can be computed by dividing the mass of O by its molar mass. In the present case, the number of moles of O is equivalent to 1.731 mol, given that the mass of O is 27.7 g and its molar mass equals 16 g/mol.
Subsequently, it is necessary to identify the most basic integer ratio of iron (Fe) to oxygen (O) atoms. In order to accomplish this, the quantity of moles attributable to every element is partitioned by the minimal quantity of moles present.
The Fe:O ratio was determined to be 1:1, as indicated by a molar ratio of 1.294 mol Fe to 1.294 mol O.
The stoichiometric ratio between oxygen and iron in the given system is represented by the numerical value of 1.337, which is the result of the division of 1.731 moles of oxygen by 1.294 moles of iron.
The requirement to achieve an integral value for the O:Fe ratio necessitates the application of a common multiplier to both ratios. A straightforward approach to accomplish this task entails the multiplication of both ratios by a factor of 4:
The ratio of Fe to O, expressed as Fe:O, is equivalent to 1 multiplied by 4, which yields a result of 4.
The stoichiometric ratio between oxygen and iron, denoted as O:Fe ratio, is calculated by multiplying the numerical value 1.337 with the factor of 4, resulting in a value of 5.348.
The nearest whole number can be utilized to approximate the O:Fe ratio, yielding the following expression:
The Fe:O ratio exhibits a value of 4.
The ratio between the amounts of oxygen and iron, denoted as O:Fe, is equal to 5.
Hence, it can be derived that the chemical composition of the compound is represented by the empirical formula Fe4O5.
The identification of a compound's molecular formula necessitates the determination of its molecular mass. It is given that the molecular mass is 231.4 g/mol. The calculation of the empirical formula mass for Fe4O5 can be performed.
The calculation of the molecular weight of Fe4O5 can be expressed as follows: the total mass is a result of adding the individual atomic weights of four iron atoms (each with a molar mass of 55.85 g/mol) and five oxygen atoms (each with a molar mass of 16 g/mol), leading to a final mass of 231.4 g/mol.
The identity of the empirical formula and the molecular formula can be inferred, as they share congruent molecular masses.