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Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: eddystone on August 12, 2004, 12:51:17 AM

Title: Empirical formula?? Help me please!!!!
Post by: eddystone on August 12, 2004, 12:51:17 AM

Hi all,

Does anyone know how to do this??

When 2.3g of a compound containing only carbon, oxygen and hydrogen is combusted it produces 4.4g of CO2 and 2.7g of H2O.

What is the empirical forumula of this compound??

Thanks heaps
eddy

Title: Re:Empirical formula?? Help me please!!!!
Post by: Donaldson Tan on August 12, 2004, 02:45:37 AM

All the carbon in carbon dioxide and hydrogen in water comes from the organic compound. The rest of the mass not accounted by carbon dioxide and water is the oxygen mass in the compound.

Hope this solves your problem.

Title: Re:Empirical formula?? Help me please!!!!
Post by: thallium chick on August 18, 2004, 12:47:05 PM

an empirical formula is the simplest ration of atoms present in a molecule. so follow the steps:

   1.  Convert the mass of each element to moles of each element using the atomic masses.

   2. Find the ratio of the moles of each element by dividing the number of moles of each by the smallest number of moles.

   3. Use the mole ratio to write the empirical formula.

helped?