Final answer:
To find the empirical formula of a hydrocarbon, we convert the masses of CO2 and H2O produced from combustion to moles of carbon and hydrogen, respectively, and then find the simplest whole number ratio between them. The calculated ratio is 2 moles of carbon to 4 moles of hydrogen, corresponding to the empirical formula C2H4. The correct corresponding to option B.
Step-by-step explanation:
The combustion of hydrocarbons generates carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) as products, allowing us to determine the empirical formula of the hydrocarbon based on the mass of these products. Given that 1.419 g of CO2 and 0.290 g of H2O are produced from 0.4196 g of a hydrocarbon, we first convert these masses to moles of carbon and hydrogen.
For CO2, 1.419 g / (12.01 g/mol + 2 × 16.00 g/mol) = 0.0323 mol of C. For H2O, 0.290 g / (2 × 1.008 g/mol + 16.00 g/mol) = 0.0161 mol of H. Since the ratio of moles of C to H is 0.0323:0.0161, and when divided by the smallest number (0.0161), we get approximately 2 moles of C for every 4 moles of H. This indicates the empirical formula is C2H4, corresponding to option B.