A chemist determines the elemental composition of an unknown compound that contains…
CHEMISTRY · Multi-part · A Level · Chemistry · Amount of substance · Amount of substance
Problem
A chemist determines the elemental composition of an unknown compound that contains only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The results are summarized below:
• Carbon: 40.0 %
• Hydrogen: 6.7 %
• Oxygen: 53.3 %
The compound’s molar mass is independently measured to be 180 g mol⁻¹.
(a) Determine the empirical formula of the compound. Show all reasoning.
(b) Using the empirical formula obtained in part (a), calculate the molecular formula that is consistent with the measured molar mass.