Question

What is the empirical formula of a compound that has three times as many hydrogen atoms as carbon atoms,but only half as many oxygen atoms as carbon atoms atoms?

Answer 1

I think it wood be

C2H6O

Answer 2

The compond in general wo=uld be CxHyOz

And we have been tol it has:

1) Three times as many hydrogen atoms as carbon atoms => y = 3x and

2) Hal as many oxygen atoms as carbon atoms => z = x/2

Then you can represent the compound as:

Cx H3x Ox/2

And to obtain the least integer ratio multiply by 2 an divide by x.

Step by step

1) multiply by 2 => C2xH6xOx

2) divide by x => C2H6O

Then the empirical formula is C2H6O. There you can see that there are 3 times as many atoms of H as atoms of C, and half atoms of O as atoms of C.

Answer: C2H6O