A gas is produced when fruit ripens; that gas can be used in mixtures with nitrogen gas to ripen bananas just before they are put on the grocery shelf. This mixture is sold as banana gas. The mass percentages of carbon and hydrogen in this gas are 85.62% for C and 14.38% for H. The molar mass was found to be twice the empirical formula unit molar mass. What is the molecular formula of this gas?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The empirical formula based on the mass percentages is CH2. The molar mass of CH2 is 14 g/mol. Since the molecular formula's molar mass is twice the empirical formula's molar mass, it is 28 g/mol, which corresponds to C2H4.

A Gas Is Produced When Fruit Ripens; That Gas Can