Question

This is the chemical formula for acetic acid (the chemical that gives the sharp taste to vinegar): An analytical chemist has determined by measurements that there are moles of oxygen in a sample of acetic acid. How many moles of hydrogen are in the sample

Answer 1

In acetic acid (C2H4O2), the ratio of oxygen to hydrogen is 1:2, so if there is 1 mole of oxygen in a sample of acetic acid, there would be 2 moles of hydrogen.

Step-by-step explanation:

The molecular formula for acetic acid, which is the chemical responsible for the sour taste of vinegar, is C2H4O2. This reflects that there are 2 moles of carbon (C), 4 moles of hydrogen (H), and 2 moles of oxygen (O) in one mole of acetic acid. Therefore, if we determine that there is 1 mole of oxygen in a sample, we can infer that there would be 2 moles of hydrogen since the ratio of oxygen to hydrogen in acetic acid is 1:2.