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If 1.216g of cobalt metal react with 0.495g of oxygen gas what is empirical formula of the cobalt oxide product

User Vidriduch
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1 Answer

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First you divide each mass by the mass number of the element:

Cobalt 1.216 / 59 = 0.02

Oxygen 0.495 / 32 = 0.03

Then the result is divided by the lowest number:

Cobalt 0.02 / 0.02 = 1

Oxygen 0.03 / 0.02 = 1.5

After that you multiply with a number to obtain an integer number:

Cobalt 1 × 2 = 2

Oxygen 1.5 × 2 = 3

The empirical formula of the oxide:

Co
_(2)O
_(3)

User Konrad Rudolph
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