Final answer:
To find the empirical formula of a compound, calculate the molar amounts of carbon and hydrogen in the sample. Divide the number of moles by the smallest number of moles to get the simplest whole-number ratio. In this case, the empirical formula is CH.
Step-by-step explanation:
The empirical formula of a compound can be determined by calculating the molar amounts of carbon and hydrogen in the sample. First, convert the masses of CO₂ and H₂O to grams. Then, calculate the number of moles of carbon and hydrogen using their molar masses. Divide the number of moles by the smallest number of moles to get the simplest whole-number ratio. This ratio represents the empirical formula of the compound.
In this case, we have 0.660 g of CO₂ and 0.270 g of H₂O. The molar masses of CO₂ and H₂O are 44.01 g/mol and 18.02 g/mol, respectively. Calculating the moles of carbon and hydrogen:
Moles of carbon = (0.660 g CO₂) / (44.01 g/mol CO₂) = 0.01499 mol C
Moles of hydrogen = (0.270 g H₂O) / (18.02 g/mol H₂O) = 0.01498 mol H
The simplest whole-number ratio is approximately 1:1. Therefore, the empirical formula of the compound is CH.