The mineral hausmannite is a compound of ⁵⁵Mn and ¹⁶O. If 72% of the mass of hausmannite is due to manganese, what is the empirical formula of hausmannite

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The empirical formula is determined by the ratio of moles of manganese to moles of oxygen. Given that 72% of the mass is manganese, the remaining 28% is oxygen. Using the atomic masses of Mn (55) and O (16), the ratio of moles of Mn to O is approximately 3:4, leading to the empirical formula Mn₃O₄.

The Mineral Hausmannite Is a Compound of 55Mn and 16O

The Mineral Hausmannite Is a Compound of ⁵⁵Mn and ¹⁶O