Chapter 9: Problem 29
A compound is known to contain carbon and hydrogen and might also contain oxygen. A sample is burned yielding \(54.6 \% \mathrm{C}\) and \(9.16 \% \mathrm{H}\). (a) What is the empirical formula of the compound? (b) The molar mass of the compound is \(132.159 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{mol}\). What is the molecular formula? (c) Write the balanced combustion reaction (reaction with \(\mathrm{O}_{2}\) ) for the compound. Answer (not worked out on purpose-you do it): (a) \(\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{4} \mathrm{O}\) (b) \(\mathrm{C}_{6} \mathrm{H}_{12} \mathrm{O}_{3}\) (c) To balance the equation, look at \(\mathrm{C}\) and \(\mathrm{H}\) first. Then balance the elemental substance \(\left(\mathrm{O}_{2}\right)\) last: We make \(\mathrm{O}_{2}\) provide \(15 \mathrm{O}\) atoms by multiplying it by \(7.5\) (that is, \(\left.\frac{15}{2}\right)\) : This is a perfectly correct balanced equation, but if you prefer the balancing coefficients to be whole mumbers, you can multiply all of them by some number that makes them whole (in this case, 2): $$ 2 \mathrm{C}_{6} \mathrm{H}_{12} \mathrm{O}_{3}+15 \mathrm{O}_{2} \rightarrow 12 \mathrm{CO}_{2}+12 \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O} $$
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Key Concepts
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