Final answer:
To determine the molecular formula of a compound with an empirical formula of BH3 and a molar mass of 27.7 g/mol, calculate the ratio of the compound's molar mass to the molar mass of the empirical formula, which gives a molecular formula of B2H6.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asked to determine the molecular formula of a compound given that the empirical formula is BH3 and the molar mass is 27.7 g/mol.
To find the molecular formula, first, calculate the molar mass of the empirical formula. The molar mass of BH3 is the sum of the atomic masses of boron (10.81 g/mol) and three hydrogen atoms (1.01 g/mol each), which equals 13.84 g/mol.
Next, divide the molar mass of the compound by the molar mass of the empirical formula to obtain the ratio: 27.7 g/mol / 13.84 g/mol ≈ 2. This ratio tells us that the molecular formula contains twice as many atoms as the empirical formula, so the molecular formula is B2H6.