Final answer:
The percent composition of HCN is 61.0% carbon (C), 15.4% hydrogen (H), and 23.7% nitrogen (N).
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the percent composition of HCN, we need to determine the mass of each element present in the compound and then calculate the percentage of each element by dividing its mass by the total mass of the compound.
In this case, the analysis of a 12.04 g sample of the compound showed that it contains 7.34 g of carbon, 1.85 g of hydrogen, and 2.85 g of nitrogen.
Using the formula for percent composition, we can calculate:
- Percent composition of carbon (C) = (mass of C / total mass of compound) x 100% = (7.34 g / 12.04 g) x 100% = 61.0%
- Percent composition of hydrogen (H) = (mass of H / total mass of compound) x 100% = (1.85 g / 12.04 g) x 100% = 15.4%
- Percent composition of nitrogen (N) = (mass of N / total mass of compound) x 100% = (2.85 g / 12.04 g) x 100% = 23.7%