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Chapter 3: Problem 82

Considering your answer to Exercise \(81,\) which type of formula, empirical or molecular, can be obtained from elemental analysis that gives percent composition?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Only an empirical formula can be obtained from elemental analysis that gives percent composition, as it provides the simplest whole number ratio of elements present in a compound. The molecular formula cannot be directly determined from percent composition data as it requires information on the actual number of atoms of each element in the compound.

Step by step solution

01

Understand empirical and molecular formulas

Empirical formulas are the simplest whole number ratio of elements present in a compound, while molecular formulas are the actual number of atoms of each element present in a compound. The molecular formula is always a multiple of the empirical formula. For example, the empirical formula of hydrogen peroxide is HO while its molecular formula is H2O2 (which is made up of two empirical formula units).
02

Understand elemental analysis and percent composition data

Elemental analysis is a method used to determine the relative amounts of different elements in a compound. The results are usually given in the form of a percent composition, which indicates the percentage of each element present. Percent composition can be determined using the mass of each element present in the compound and the total mass of the compound. The formula to find the percent composition of an element in a compound is: Percent composition =\(\frac{mass\,of\,element\phantom{}in\phantom{}the\phantom{}compound }{total\,mass\,of\,the\,compound}\) x 100
03

Determine which formula can be obtained from percent composition data

With percent composition data, one can initially determine the simplest whole number ratio of elements present in a compound, which is the empirical formula. However, since the molecular formula is a multiple of the empirical formula and we don't have information on the actual number of atoms of each element in the compound, we cannot directly determine the molecular formula from percent composition data. Therefore, only an empirical formula can be obtained from elemental analysis that gives percent composition.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Cumene is a compound containing only carbon and hydrogen that is used in the production of acetone and phenol in the chemical industry. Combustion of 47.6 \(\mathrm{mg}\) cumene produces some \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) and 42.8 \(\mathrm{mg}\) water. The molar mass of cumene is between 115 and 125 $\mathrm{g} / \mathrm{mol}$ . Determine the empirical and molecular formulas.

Coke is an impure form of carbon that is often used in the industrial production of metals from their oxides. If a sample of coke is 95\(\%\) carbon by mass, determine the mass of coke needed to react completely with 1.0 ton of copper(Il) oxide. $$ 2 \mathrm{CuO}(s)+\mathrm{C}(s) \longrightarrow 2 \mathrm{Cu}(s)+\mathrm{CO}_{2}(g) $$

Terephthalic acid is an important chemical used in the manufacture of polyesters and plasticizers. It contains only \(\mathrm{C}, \mathrm{H}\) , and O. Combustion of 19.81 \(\mathrm{mg}\) terephthalic acid produces 41.98 \(\mathrm{mg} \mathrm{CO}_{2}\) and 6.45 \(\mathrm{mg} \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}\) . If 0.250 mole of terephthalic acid has a mass of \(41.5 \mathrm{g},\) determine the molecular formula for terephthalic acid.

A binary compound between an unknown element \(\mathrm{E}\) and hydrogen contains 91.27\(\% \mathrm{E}\) and 8.73\(\% \mathrm{H}\) by mass. If the formula of the compound is \(\mathrm{E}_{3} \mathrm{H}_{8},\) calculate the atomic mass of \(\mathrm{E}\)

Anabolic steroids are performance enhancement drugs whose use has been banned from most major sporting activities. One anabolic steroid is fluoxymesterone \(\left(\mathrm{C}_{20} \mathrm{H}_{29} \mathrm{FO}_{3}\right)\) . Calculate the percent composition by mass of fluoxymesterone.
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