The complete combustion of 0.285 g of a pure hydrocarbon yielded 0.878 g CO₂ and 0.405 g H₂O. What is the mass % C in this hydrocarbon?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mass of carbon in the hydrocarbon is equal to the mass of CO₂ produced, which is 0.878 g. The mass of hydrogen in the hydrocarbon is equal to the mass of H₂O produced, which is 0.405 g. The total mass of the hydrocarbon is 0.285 g. Therefore, the mass % C in the hydrocarbon is (0.878 g / 0.285 g) * 100% = 84.1%.

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