Question

An organic acid is composed of carbon (58.80%), hydrogen (9.89%), and oxygen (31.33%). Its molar mass is 102.13 g/mol. Determine the molecular formula of the compound.

Answer 1

To determine the molecular formula of the compound, we first calculate the empirical formula using the given percentages. The empirical formula is C2H5O.

Step-by-step explanation:

The molecular formula of the compound can be determined by finding the empirical formula first. The given percentages of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are used to calculate the empirical formula.

Assuming we have 100g of the compound, we have 58.80g of carbon, 9.89g of hydrogen, and 31.33g of oxygen. Converting these masses to moles using the molar masses of C, H, and O, we get 4.9 mol of carbon, 9.78 mol of hydrogen, and 1.96 mol of oxygen.

Dividing these mole ratios by the smallest number of moles (1.96), we get an empirical formula of C2H5O.