Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol. It consists of 63.56% C, 6.00% H, 9.27% N, and 21.17% O. What is the empirical formula of acetaminophen?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the empirical formula, we divide the percentages by the atomic masses of each element (C=12, H=1, N=14, O=16) to get the mole ratio. For C: 63.56/12 ≈ 5.3, H: 6.00/1 = 6, N: 9.27/14 ≈ 0.66, O: 21.17/16 ≈ 1.32. The smallest ratio is approximately 0.66 (for N), so we divide all mole ratios by 0.66 to approximate to the nearest whole number: C ≈ 8, H ≈ 9, N ≈ 1, O ≈ 2. Thus, the empirical formula is C8H9NO2.

Acetaminophen Is the Active Ingredient in Tylenol