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Chapter 7: Problem 18

When you calculate the percentage composition of a compound from both the empirical formula and the molecular formula, why are the two results identical?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The percent compositions calculated from the empirical and molecular formula are identical because both formulas represent the same proportion of elements in the compound.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Empirical and Molecular Formulas

The empirical formula of a compound provides the simplest whole number ratio of atoms of each element in the compound, while the molecular formula provides the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule of the compound. They could be the same for some compounds like \( H_2O \), but not same for others like \( C_6H_12O_6 \) where the empirical formula is \( CH_2O \).
02

Understanding Percentage Composition

The percent composition (percentage by mass) of an element in a compound is calculated by dividing the total mass of the element in the formula by the molecular mass of the compound and then multiplying the result by 100.
03

Explaining the identical result

Whether you use the empirical formula or the molecular formula to calculate the percent composition, the result will be the same because the empirical formula is merely a reduced form of the molecular formula. The molecular formula is often a multiple of the empirical formula, or possibly identical to it. They both represent the same overall proportions of elements in the compound, and hence give the same results for percent composition.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Why is the ratio between the empirical formula and the molecular formula a whole number?

Summarize briefly the process of using empirical formula and the value for experimental molar mass to determine the molecular formula.

A 1.344 g sample of a compound contains 0.365 g \(N a, 0.221 \mathrm{g} \mathrm{N},\) and 0.758 \(\mathrm{g}\) O. What is its percentage composition? Calculate its empirical formula.

How do you determine the molar mass of a compound?

How many atoms are in the \(1.25 \times 10^{-2}\) mol of mercury within the bulb of a thermometer?
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