Final answer:
To find the empirical formula of a compound with a given mass composition, the masses need to be converted into moles, and the simplest whole number ratio of these moles is determined. Upon calculating, the empirical formula for the compound with 28 g N, 24 g C, 48 g O, and 8 g H is found to be N2C2H8O3, corresponding to Option C.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is about determining the empirical formula of a compound given its mass composition of nitrogen (N), carbon (C), oxygen (O), and hydrogen (H). To find the empirical formula, you need to convert the given masses into moles by using the atomic masses of the elements (N: 14 g/mol, C: 12 g/mol, O: 16 g/mol, H: 1 g/mol). After calculating the moles of each element, you determine the simplest mole ratio of the elements within the compound, which represents the empirical formula.
For this specific compound with 28 g N, 24 g C, 48 g O, and 8 g H, we calculate the moles of each:
- N: 28 g / 14 g/mol = 2 moles of N
- C: 24 g / 12 g/mol = 2 moles of C
- O: 48 g / 16 g/mol = 3 moles of O
- H: 8 g / 1 g/mol = 8 moles of H
The mole ratio of N:C:O:H is therefore 2:2:3:8. To find the simplest whole number ratio, we divide by the smallest number of moles, which in this case is 2, resulting in a ratio of 1:1:1.5:4. However, empirical formulas should have whole numbers, so we multiply through by 2 to get rid of the fraction, giving us the ratio 2:2:3:8.
Therefore, the empirical formula is N2C2H8O3, which corresponds to Option C.