You must be given the percentages, masses, or number of moles of both Carbon and Hydrogen in the problem.
The basic steps are:% –> Mass –> Moles –> Whole Number
Percent:Assume that the total percentage is out of 100 grams.Then the % = MassExample: The percentage of Carbon is 56%, so the mass is assumed to be 56 grams(This will always work out in the end)
Mass:Now that we have the mass, convert it to moles.Use the Molar Mass (##g/(mol)##)Divide the mass by the molar mass to get the moles.
Moles:Since the molecular formula of any molecule is based off of whole-number ratios of moles, we must get the moles to a whole number
The easiest way to do this:
Finally, write the hydrocarbon’s empirical formula with the number of moles. The Hydrogen always comes first. Your answer should look something like this: ##CH_4## or ##C_2H_4##
Try it: A hydrogen carbon is made of 25% Hydrogen 75% Carbon. Find the Empirical Formula.
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