Final answer:
The percent composition is calculated by dividing the mass of each element by the total mass of the compound and multiplying by 100. The mystery compound is 27.25% carbon and 72.75% oxygen, which does not match the composition of carbon monoxide (CO), indicating it is not CO.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking to calculate the percent composition of carbon (C) and oxygen (O) in a mystery compound and determine if this compound could be carbon monoxide (CO).
To find the percent composition, you divide the mass of each element by the total mass of the compound and then multiply by 100 to get a percentage. For the mystery compound with 5.45 g of carbon and 14.55 g of oxygen in a 20 g sample:
- Percent of Carbon = (5.45 g C / 20 g compound) x 100 = 27.25%
- Percent of Oxygen = (14.55 g O / 20 g compound) x 100 = 72.75%
To determine if the compound could be CO, one would compare the calculated ratio of carbon to oxygen with the known ratio in CO, which is 1:1 by mole. However, the percentages here suggest a different ratio of carbon to oxygen than what exists in CO, indicating the compound is not CO.