Determining Empirical Formulas???

Question

How do you figure out empirical formulas, and how would the answer be stated?

Answer 1

If the compound is organic, containing only C,H and O, combustion analysis is the way to go.
1) Measure the mass of the quantity you are going to burn.
2) Burn the stuff in excess oxygen and measure the quantity of CO2 and H20 that is formed. This gives that masses of C and H and by subtraction from 1) the O in the original compound
3) Convert the masses to moles.
4) Divide by the smallest mole value to find the ratio in small integers

Answer 2

First convert each from grams to moles using molar mass. Then find and reduce the ratio of moles; empirical formula gives the simplest ratio of atoms or molecules in a compound.

Answer 3

Beautiful self has a good poem to help you!

Let's say that a molecule is composed of 40% carbon, 6.7% hydrogen and the rest is oxygen.

% to mass: use 100g as the total mass of compound to make it easy: 40g C, 6.7 grams H, 56.6g O

mass to moles: 40g C = 3.33 moles, 3.4g H= 6.63 moles, 56.6 g O=3.54 moles

divide by smallest: 6.63molesH/3.33 = 1.99, 3.54 moles O/3.33=1.06

Thhis means that there are 2 H for every one C and O. Empirical formula is C1H2O1

Answer 4

percent to mass
mass to mole
divide by large
multiply til whole

heheh, i'll leave you to figure out what that means :o)