Answer:
The empirical formula of the compound is KClO.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the empirical formula of the compound, we need to find the mole ratio of each element in the compound.
First, we need to convert the mass of each element to moles.
Moles of K = 4.65 g / 39.10 g/mol = 0.119 mol
Moles of Cl = 4.22 g / 35.45 g/mol = 0.119 mol
Moles of O = (14.57 g - 4.65 g - 4.22 g) / 16.00 g/mol = 0.456 mol
Next, we need to find the simplest whole number mole ratio by dividing each value by the smallest number of moles:
Moles of K = 0.119 mol / 0.119 mol = 1
Moles of Cl = 0.119 mol / 0.119 mol = 1
Moles of O = 0.456 mol / 0.119 mol ≈ 3.84
To get whole numbers, we can multiply all the ratios by 3 to obtain:
Moles of K = 3
Moles of Cl = 3
Moles of O = 12
Therefore, the empirical formula of the compound is KClO.