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Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: Asaph on November 08, 2018, 12:42:24 AM

Title: Mass percentage
Post by: Asaph on November 08, 2018, 12:42:24 AM

A salt whose formula is Na₂SxOy,is 47.5% by mass .
Find x.

I tried to set it at 100g eith 47.5g sulfur and thus
Putting the rest at combined 52.2g ,
Then im stucked, two unknowns here,

A little help

Title: Re: Mass percentage
Post by: Borek on November 08, 2018, 02:56:56 AM

Try trial and error (assume some small values of x, y and calculate S mass percentage for each).

Your approach is not bad, but won't get you past the fact it is impossible to easily translate fact that x and y are integers into an equation.