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Chapter 4: Problem 25

Which kind of chemical formula can be obtained from experimental data showing the relative masses of the elements in a compound?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Experimental data showing the relative masses of elements in a compound can be used to determine the empirical formula, which represents the simplest whole-number ratio of the elements.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Chemical Formulas

There are multiple types of chemical formulas, including empirical formulas, molecular formulas, and structural formulas. Empirical formulas show the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound. Molecular formulas show the exact number of atoms of each element in a molecule. Structural formulas depict the arrangement of atoms in the molecule. Experimental data showing relative masses of elements in a compound are most directly related to the empirical formula.
02

Determining the Empirical Formula

To determine the empirical formula, you divide the relative masses by the atomic masses of the respective elements to find the simplest whole-number ratio. These ratios indicate the mole ratio of the elements in the compound, which is equivalent to their ratio in the empirical formula.
03

Converting to Smallest Whole Number Ratio

Once the ratios have been calculated, they may need to be multiplied by a common factor to convert them to small whole numbers, if they are not already. This is because empirical formulas must have whole numbers only.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Chemical Formulas
Let's simplify the complex topic of chemical formulas. In essence, chemical formulas are like recipes for molecules; they tell us what ingredients (elements) are present and in what quantity.
  • Empirical formulas are the simplest form, showing the smallest whole-number ratio of the elements in a compound.
  • Molecular formulas give us the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule, which might be multiples of the empirical formula.
  • Structural formulas take it a step further by illustrating how those atoms are arranged in space, including the bonds between them.
Experiments that give us the relative masses of elements directly point us towards the empirical formula because it represents the fundamental proportion of components in the compound.
Molecular Formulas
The molecular formula is a step up from the empirical formula in that it conveys actual quantity of atoms within a single molecule. To visualize, imagine you're working with LEGO bricks: the empirical formula tells you what colors of bricks you're using and in what ratio, while the molecular formula tells you exactly how many of each color you have. For instance, the empirical formula for hydrogen peroxide could be HO, but its molecular formula is H2O2, specifying that there are 2 hydrogen and 2 oxygen atoms.
Structural Formulas
What about seeing the shape and design of our LEGO build? That's where structural formulas come in. They don't just list the atoms, but show us how they're connected—the blueprint of our molecular construction. For instance, while both ethanol and dimethyl ether have the same molecular formula, C2H6O, their structural formulas reveal different arrangements of atoms, leading to completely different properties. Understanding the structure is essential for predicting how a molecule will interact with others.
Atomic Masses
The atomic mass is akin to the weight of each LEGO brick in our molecular model. It represents the average mass of atoms of an element, measured in atomic mass units (amu). Since atoms are incredibly small, we use the concept of moles to relate their masses to ones we can work with in the laboratory. One mole of any element has the same number of atoms (Avogadro's number), but the weight of that mole varies depending on the element's atomic mass. So, in the context of empirical formulas, we use atomic masses to convert the mass percentage composition into a molar ratio, which is critical for determining the simplest ratio of atoms in a compound.
Mole Ratio
Mole ratio, often encountered in chemistry problems, is pivotal for finding empirical formulas. It's the link between the microscopic world of atoms and the macroscopic world we observe.
  • Firstly, we analyze the compound's composition to get the relative mass of each element. Imagine having a variety of LEGO bricks weighing different amounts.
  • Next, we divide these masses by their individual atomic masses (the weight of each type of LEGO brick) to find out how many moles of each we have.
  • Finally, we simplify these quantities to the smallest whole number ratio. This ratio allows us to construct the empirical formula with ease, just as you would find the simplest pattern to follow when building with your LEGO bricks.

The steps involved in moving from relative masses to a mole ratio underscore the practical application of theoretical concepts in solving chemical puzzles and understanding the fabric of substances.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Create a flowchart with a series of simple questions that can be used to determine whether a chemical formula is that of an atomic element, a molecular element, a molecular compound, or an ionic compound. Use your flowchart to identify the correct category for P4, KCl, CH4, Ne, and NH4NO3.

Write an electron configuration for Ne. Then write a Lewis symbol for Ne and show which electrons from the electron configuration are included in the Lewis symbol.

A chemist decomposes samples of several compounds; the masses of their constituent elements are shown. Calculate the empirical formula for each compound. a. 1.245 g Ni, 5.381 g I b. 2.677 g Ba, 3.115 g Br c. 2.128 g Be, 7.557 g S, 15.107 g O

Name each ionic compound. a. SnO b. Cr2S3 c. RbI d. BaBr2

Copper(II) fluoride contains 37.42% F by mass. Calculate the mass of fluorine (in g) contained in 55.5 g of copper(II) fluoride. 20.8 \(\mathrm{gF}\)
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