Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 3: Problem 31

Diethylene glycol, used to deice aircraft, is a carbonhydrogen-oxygen compound with \(45.27 \%\) C and \(9.50 \%\) H by mass. What is its empirical formula?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The empirical formula of the given compound is C4H10O3.

Step by step solution

01

Convert Percentages into Mass

Begin by assuming we have a 100g of the sample, meaning that the mass of the Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen would be 45.27g, 9.50g, and 45.23g respectively. The assumption aligns with their respective percentages.
02

Calculate the Number of Moles for Each Element

Using the molar mass of each element, calculate the number of moles for Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen. The molar mass for Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen are approximately 12.01 g/mol, 1.01 g/mol, and 16.00 g/mol respectively.\n\nNumber of moles of Carbon = \(\frac{45.27 \, \text{g}}{12.01 \, \text{g/mol}} \approx 3.77 \, \text{mol}\) \nNumber of moles of Hydrogen = \(\frac{9.50 \, \text{g}}{1.01 \, \text{g/mol}} \approx 9.41 \, \text{mol}\) \nNumber of moles of Oxygen = \(\frac{45.23 \, \text{g}}{16.00 \, \text{g/mol}} \approx 2.83 \, \text{mol}\)
03

Determine the Empirical Formula

To determine the empirical formula, get the ratio of the moles of each element to the smallest number of moles calculated. In our case, the smallest number of moles is approximately 2.83 mol, corresponding to Oxygen. \n\nNumber of moles of Carbon = \(\frac{3.77 \, \text{mol}}{2.83 \, \text{mol}} \approx 1.33 \approx 4/3\) \nNumber of moles of Hydrogen = \(\frac{9.41 \, \text{mol}}{2.83 \, \text{mol}} \approx 3.33 \approx 10/3\) \nNumber of moles of Oxygen = \(\frac{2.83 \, \text{mol}}{2.83 \, \text{mol}} = 1\)\n\nTo avoid fractions, multiply all the ratios by 3, giving the ratios of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen as about 4, 10, and 3 respectively. So, the empirical formula is C4H10O3.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Name these compounds: (a) \(\operatorname{SrO} ;\) (b) \(\mathrm{ZnS} ;\) (c) \(\mathrm{K}_{2} \mathrm{CrO}_{4}\) (d) \(\mathrm{Cs}_{2} \mathrm{SO}_{4} ;(\mathrm{e}) \mathrm{Cr}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{3} ;(\mathrm{f}) \mathrm{Fe}_{2}\left(\mathrm{SO}_{4}\right)_{3} ;(\mathrm{g}) \mathrm{Mg}\left(\mathrm{HCO}_{3}\right)_{2}\) (h) \(\left(\mathrm{NH}_{4}\right)_{2} \mathrm{HPO}_{4} ; \quad\) (i) \(\quad \mathrm{Ca}\left(\mathrm{HSO}_{3}\right)_{2} ; \quad(\mathrm{j}) \quad \mathrm{Cu}(\mathrm{OH})_{2}\) (k) \(\mathrm{HNO}_{3} ;\) (1) \(\mathrm{KClO}_{4} ;\) (m) \(\mathrm{HBrO}_{3} ;\) (n) \(\mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{PO}_{3}\).

To deposit exactly one mole of \(\mathrm{Ag}\) from an aqueous solution containing \(\mathrm{Ag}^{+}\) requires a quantity of electricity known as one faraday (F). The electrodeposition requires that each \(\mathrm{Ag}^{+}\) ion gain one electron to become an Ag atom. Use appropriate physical constants listed on the inside back cover to obtain a precise value of the Avogadro constant, \(N_{A}\).

Determine the empirical formula of (a) the rodenticide (rat killer) warfarin, which consists of \(74.01 \% \mathrm{C}\) \(5.23 \% \mathrm{H},\) and \(20.76 \%\) O, by mass; (b) the antibacterial agent sulfamethizole, which consists of \(39.98 \%\) C. \(3.73 \% \mathrm{H}, 20.73 \% \mathrm{N}, 11.84 \% \mathrm{O},\) and \(23.72 \% \mathrm{S},\) by mass.

Write formulas for the compounds: (a) aluminum sulfate; (b) ammonium dichromate; (c) silicon tetrafluoride; (d) iron(III) oxide; (e) tricarbon disulfide; (f) cobalt(II) nitrate; (g) strontium nitrite; (h) hydrobromic acid; (i) iodic acid; (j) phosphorus dichloride trifluoride.

In the year 2000 , the Guinness Book of World Records called ethyl mercaptan, \(\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{6} \mathrm{S}\), the smelliest substance known. The average person can detect its presence in air at levels as low as \(9 \times 10^{-4} \mu \mathrm{mol} / \mathrm{m}^{3} .\) Express the limit of detectability of ethyl mercaptan in parts per billion (ppb). (Note: 1 ppb \(\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{6} \mathrm{S}\) means there is \(1 \mathrm{g}\) \(\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{6} \mathrm{S}\) per billion grams of air.) The density of air is approximately \(1.2 \mathrm{g} / \mathrm{L}\) at room temperature.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Chemical Analysis

Read Explanation

Kinetics

Read Explanation

Organic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Chemical Reactions

Read Explanation

Chemistry Branches

Read Explanation

Physical Chemistry

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free