Question

if a copper acetate hydrate, Cux(C2H3O2)y zH2O compound is found to contain 31.82% Copper, 59.14% acetate,and the remainder is water. What is the empirical formula of this compound ?

Answer 1

in empirical formulas, we find the minimum ratio to which the components of the compound are combined in.
Cux(C2H3O2)y zH2O
first we need to write the percentages as masses and assume that in 100 g of the compound these are the masses of each compound its composed of
Cu C₂H₃O₂ H₂O
31.82 g 59.14 g 9.04 g
molar mass
63.5 g/mol 59 g/mol 18 g/mol
31.82/63.5 59.14/59 9.04/18
= 0.5 = 1.002 - 0.5
divide by the smallest number
0.5/0.5 = 1 1.0/0.5 =2 0.5/0.5 = 1

Therefore x = 1
y = 2
z = 1
Cu(C2H3O2)₂ H2O