A uranium oxide compound is found to be 88.15% U by mass.What is the empirical formula for the compound?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the empirical formula, calculate the moles of uranium and oxygen in 100g of the compound. Uranium's atomic mass is approximately 238 g/mol, and oxygen's is 16 g/mol. For 88.15g of U, moles = 88.15/238. For 11.85g of O, moles = 11.85/16. The mole ratio of U to O is approximately 1:2, giving the empirical formula UO₂.

A Uranium Oxide Compound Is Found to Be 88