Oxidation of a hydrocarbon gave a product composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The product that was purified and sent off for elemental analysis giving the following mass percents: 68.85% C and 4.95% H. Determine the empirical formula of this compound.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The empirical formula is determined by converting mass percentages to moles. For carbon: 68.85 g C / 12.01 g/mol = 5.73 mol C. For hydrogen: 4.95 g H / 1.008 g/mol = 4.91 mol H. The remaining percentage is oxygen: 100% - 68.85% - 4.95% = 26.2% O, which is 26.2 g O / 16.00 g/mol = 1.64 mol O. The mole ratio is approximately 3.5:3:1, which simplifies to 7:6:2, giving the empirical formula C₇H₆O₂.

Oxidation of a Hydrocarbon Gave a Product Composed of Carbon