The empirical formula for a group of compounds is CHCl.Lindane,a powerful insecticide,is a member of this group.The molar mass of lindane is 290.8.How many atoms of carbon does a molecule of lindane contain?
A)3
B)2
C)4
D)6
E)8

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the empirical formula is CHCl, we know that there is one carbon atom in the molecule of lindane. To determine the number of hydrogen and chlorine atoms, we need to consider the molar mass of lindane (290.8 g/mol). If we assume that there are 6 carbon atoms in the molecule, we can calculate the expected molar mass as follows:
Molar mass = (6 x 12.01 g/mol) + (10 x 1.01 g/mol) + (6 x 35.45 g/mol) = 290.16 g/mol
Since the actual molar mass is slightly higher than this value, it is reasonable to assume that there are some additional chlorine atoms in the molecule. However, we cannot assume that there are more than 6 carbon atoms (since this would result in a higher molar mass than observed). Therefore, the only possible answer is D, which corresponds to a molecule of lindane containing 6 carbon atoms.

The Empirical Formula for a Group of Compounds Is CHCl