Question

determine the empirical formula of an oxide of silicon if 5.36 g of the compound contains 2.50 g of silicon.

Answer 1

The empirical formula of the oxide of silicon is SiO2.

Step-by-step explanation:

The empirical formula of a compound represents the simplest ratio of the atoms present in the compound. To determine the empirical formula of the oxide of silicon, we need to compare the masses of silicon and oxygen.

Given:

• Mass of the compound = 5.36 g
• Mass of silicon = 2.50 g

To find the mass of oxygen, we subtract the mass of silicon from the mass of the compound:

Mass of oxygen = Mass of the compound - Mass of silicon = 5.36 g - 2.50 g = 2.86 g

Next, we need to convert the masses of silicon and oxygen to moles using their molar masses.

• Molar mass of silicon (Si) = 28.09 g/mol
• Molar mass of oxygen (O) = 16.00 g/mol

Moles of silicon (Si) = Mass of silicon / Molar mass of silicon = 2.50 g / 28.09 g/mol = 0.089 mol

Moles of oxygen (O) = Mass of oxygen / Molar mass of oxygen = 2.86 g / 16.00 g/mol = 0.179 mol

Now, we divide both moles by the smallest value (0.089 mol) to get the simplest whole number ratio.

Moles of silicon (Si) = 0.089 mol / 0.089 mol = 1

Moles of oxygen (O) = 0.179 mol / 0.089 mol = 2

Therefore, the empirical formula of the oxide of silicon is SiO2.