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How To Calculate Mass Percent Composition

The document describes how to calculate the percent composition of a compound from its chemical formula. It provides an example of calculating the percent composition of dichlorine heptoxide. The mass of each element in 1 mole of the compound is determined from the formula and divided by the molar mass. This value is multiplied by 100% to obtain the percent composition. For dichlorine heptoxide, the calculation shows it is 38.76% chlorine and 61.24% oxygen by mass.

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Isabel Durango
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181 views2 pages

How To Calculate Mass Percent Composition

The document describes how to calculate the percent composition of a compound from its chemical formula. It provides an example of calculating the percent composition of dichlorine heptoxide. The mass of each element in 1 mole of the compound is determined from the formula and divided by the molar mass. This value is multiplied by 100% to obtain the percent composition. For dichlorine heptoxide, the calculation shows it is 38.76% chlorine and 61.24% oxygen by mass.

Uploaded by

Isabel Durango
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 PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How to Calculate Mass

Percent Composition
The percent composition of a compound can also be
determined from the formula of the compound. The
subscripts in the formula are first used to calculate the
mass of each element in one mole of the compound. That is
divided by the molar mass of the compound and multiplied
by 100% .

Example
Dichlorine heptoxide is a highly reactive compound
used in some organic synthesis reactions. Calculate the
percent composition of dichlorine heptoxide.

Solution
Known
Step 1 Mass of Cl in 1mol =70.90g
List the known Mass of O in 1mol =112.00g
quantities and plan
the problem Molar mass of =182.90g/mol
Percent Cl=?%
Unknown
Percent O=?%

Calculate the percent by mass of each element by dividing


the mass of that element in 1 mole of the compound by the
molar mass of the compound and multiplying by 100% .

%Cl = 70.90gCl × 100% = 38.76%Cl

Step 2
182.90g

Calculate.
%O = 112.00gO × 100% = 61.24%O
182.90g
Step 3 The percentages add
Think about your up to 100% .
result.

Percent composition can also be used to determine the


mass of a certain element that is contained in any mass of
a compound. In the previous sample problem, it was found
that the percent composition of dichlorine heptoxide is
38.76%Cl and 61.24%O . Suppose that you need to know
the masses of chlorine and oxygen present in a 12.50g
sample of dichlorine heptoxide. You can set up a
conversion factor based on the percent by mass of each
element:

12,50g = 38,76gCl = 4,845 g Cl


1OOg
12,50g = 61,24gO = 7,655 g O
1OOg

The percent composition is


the percent by mass of each
element in a compound.

Processes are described


for calculating the
percent composition of a
material based on mass or
on chemical composition.
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videos v=JqKEaPmNFLg&ab_channel=MelissaMaribel
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3O2pUI&ab_channel=MelissaMaribel
Resources
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_Chemistry/Introductory_Chemistry_(CK-
12)/10%3A_The_Mole/10.09%3A_Percent_Composition
https://www.thoughtco.com/mass-percent-composition-example-609567

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