Final answer:
To find the empirical formula, convert the mass of each element to moles, then determine the simplest whole number ratio. For the given masses of sulfur and oxygen, the empirical formula is
, which represents a 1:3 ratio of sulfur to oxygen atoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The empirical formula of a compound is the simplest whole number ratio of atoms of each element in the compound. To determine it based on the masses of elements in a sample, you first convert the mass of each element to moles by dividing by its atomic weight. For sulfur (S), the atomic weight is approximately 32.07 g/mol, and for oxygen (O), it is approximately 16.00 g/mol. We have 1.0 g of S and 1.5 g of O. Hence the moles of S will be 1.0 g divided by 32.07 g/mol, and the moles of O will be 1.5 g divided by 16.00 g/mol.
Calculating these yields:
- Moles of S = 1.0 g / 32.07 g/mol ≈ 0.0312 mol
- Moles of O = 1.5 g / 16.00 g/mol ≈ 0.09375 mol
Next, you divide the molar amounts by the smallest value obtained to get the simplest ratio:
- Ratio of S to O = 0.0312 mol S / 0.0312 mol : 0.09375 mol O / 0.0312 mol ≈ 1 : 3
Thus, the empirical formula is
.