A certain alcohol contains only three elements,carbon,hydrogen,and oxygen.Combustion of a 20.00 gram sample of the alcohol produced 38.20 grams of CO₂ and 23.48 grams of H₂O.What is the empirical formula of the alcohol? A) C₂H₆O B) C₃H₆O C) C₄H₁₀O D) CH₄O E) C₅H₁₀O

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The empirical formula is determined by calculating the moles of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in the products. From 38.20 g of CO₂, there are 1.00 mol of carbon. From 23.48 g of H₂O, there are 2.61 mol of hydrogen. The remaining mass is oxygen, which is 20.00 g - (mass of carbon + mass of hydrogen), giving 0.50 mol of oxygen. The simplest whole number ratio is C₂H₆O.

A Certain Alcohol Contains Only Three Elements,carbon,hydrogen,and Oxygen