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Sample Problem On Empirical Formula

The document provides examples for determining empirical and molecular formulas from elemental composition data. Example 1 analyzes methyl acetate and determines its empirical formula is CH3O2 through a multi-step process of converting percentages to masses to moles and ratios. Example 2 is given the empirical formula C5H11 for decane, calculates its molecular weight, and determines the molecular formula is C10H22 by comparing to the given molecular weight of decane.

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Mary Rose Gan Percano-Martinez
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80 views1 page

Sample Problem On Empirical Formula

The document provides examples for determining empirical and molecular formulas from elemental composition data. Example 1 analyzes methyl acetate and determines its empirical formula is CH3O2 through a multi-step process of converting percentages to masses to moles and ratios. Example 2 is given the empirical formula C5H11 for decane, calculates its molecular weight, and determines the molecular formula is C10H22 by comparing to the given molecular weight of decane.

Uploaded by

Mary Rose Gan Percano-Martinez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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EXAMPLE 1

Suppose you are given a compound such as methyl acetate, a solvent commonly used in
paints, inks, and adhesives. When methyl acetate was chemically analyzed, it was discovered
to have 48.64% carbon (C), 8.16% hydrogen (H), and 43.20% oxygen (O). For the purposes of
determining empirical formulas, we assume that we have 100 g of the compound. If this is the
case, the percentages will be equal to the mass of each element in grams.
Step 1: Change each percentage to an expression of the mass of each element in grams. That
is, 48.64% C becomes 48.64 g C, 8.16% H becomes 8.16 g H, and 43.20% O becomes 43.20 g
O because we assume we have 100 g of the overall compound.
Step 2: Convert the amount of each element in grams to its amount in moles.
(48.64 g C1)(1 mol 12.01 g C)=4.049 mol(48.64 g C1)(1 mol 12.01 g C)=4.049 mol
(8.16 g H1)(1 mol 1.008 g H)=8.095 mol(8.16 g H1)(1 mol 1.008 g H)=8.095 mol
(43.20 g O1)(1 mol 16.00 g O)=2.7 mol(43.20 g O1)(1 mol 16.00 g O)=2.7 mol
Step 3: Divide each of the mole values by the smallest of the mole values.
4.049 mol 2.7 mol =1.54.049 mol 2.7 mol =1.5
8.095 mol 2.7 mol =38.095 mol 2.7 mol =3
2.7 mol 2.7 mol =12.7 mol 2.7 mol =1
Step 4: If necessary, multiply these numbers by integers in order to get whole numbers; if an
operation is done to one of the numbers, it must be done to all of them.
1.5×2=31.5×2=3
3×2=63×2=6
1×2=21×2=2
Thus, the empirical formula of methyl acetate is C H O .
3 6 2

EXAMPLE 2

The empirical formula of decane is C H . Its molecular weight is 142.286 g/mol. What is the
5 11

molecular formula of decane?


Step 1: Calculate the molecular weight of the empirical formula (the molecular weight of C =
12.011 g/mol and H = 1.008 g/mol)
5 (12.0111 g/mol) + 11 (1.008 g/mol) = C H 5 11

60.055 g/mol + 11.008 g/mol = 71.143 g/mol per C H 5 11

Step 2: Divide the molecular weight of the molecular formula by the the molecular weight of the
empirical formula to find the ratio between the two.
142.286 g/mol71.143 g/mol=2142.286 g/mol71.143 g/mol=2
Since the weight of the molecular formula is twice the weight of the empirical formula, there
must be twice as many atoms, but in the same ratio. Therefore, if the empirical formula of
decane is C H , the molecular formula of decane is twice that, or C H .
5 11 10 22

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