Riboflavin is one of the \(\mathrm{B}\) vitamins. It is also known as vitamin \(\mathrm{B}_{6}\) and is made up of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms. When \(10.00 \mathrm{~g}\) of vitamin \(\mathrm{B}_{6}\) is burned in oxygen, \(19.88 \mathrm{~g}\) of \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) and \(4.79 \mathrm{~g}\) of \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}\) are obtained. Another experiment shows that vitamin \(\mathrm{B}_{6}\) is made up of \(14.89 \% \mathrm{~N}\). What is the simplest formula for vitamin \(\mathrm{B}_{6}\) ?

Stoichiometry is a branch of chemistry that deals with the quantitative relationships between the reactants and products in a chemical reaction. It allows us to predict how much product will be formed from given amounts of reactants or how much of the reactants are needed to make a specific amount of product. Understanding stoichiometry is crucial in tasks such as determining the simplest formula of a compound like vitamin B6.

For example, when vitamin B6 is burned, stoichiometry enables us to calculate the amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O) that will be produced, based on the known chemical composition of the vitamin. Using the molar masses of these compounds, we can then back-calculate the amounts of individual elements—such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen—originally present in the vitamin. This process involves ratio and proportion concepts, which are the heart of stoichiometry.

The mole concept is a fundamental unit in chemistry that represents a specific number of particles, such as atoms, molecules, or ions. The mole is related to Avogadro's number, which is approximately 6.022 x 10²³. This large number provides a way to count small particles by weighing out a macroscopic amount, and it's a bridge between the atomic world and the macroscopic world we can measure. The ability to convert between grams and moles is essential in calculating the empirical formula of a compound.

When given the mass of elements as in the vitamin B6 problem, we convert these masses to moles to compare the number of atoms in an understandable manner. The computed moles further assist in finding out the simplest whole number ratio of atoms present in the compound, which leads us to the empirical formula. In this case, we determine the number of moles of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen in the vitamin to understand its formula ratio.

The empirical formula stands for the simplest integer ratio of the atoms of the elements in a compound. It doesn't necessarily represent the actual numbers of atoms in a molecule, but rather the smallest whole number ratio of the constituent atoms. To find the empirical formula, we start by determining the number of moles of each element in the sample. Then we divide each mole value by the smallest number of moles from the calculations to get the simplest ratio. In cases where the ratios are not whole numbers, we multiply all ratios by the same factor to obtain whole numbers, as these are necessary for the empirical formula representation.

In the vitamin B6 example, after calculating the moles of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, we find the smallest number of moles to establish a reference and then calculate the ratio to determine the empirical formula. Rounding and approximation may be necessary to get to the nearest whole number, which in the case of vitamin B6 yields C₄H₅NO₂ as the simplest formula.