Question

What is the purpose of experiment 5 in the determination of a chemical formula?

1) To determine the empirical formula of a compound
2) To calculate the molar mass of a compound
3) To identify the elements present in a compound
4) To determine the molecular formula of a compound

Answer 1

The purpose of experiment 5 is to determine the molecular formula of a compound by first establishing the empirical formula from experimental data, then using additional information to find the molecular formula.

Step-by-step explanation:

The purpose of experiment 5 in the determination of a chemical formula is to determine the molecular formula of a compound. To accomplish this, experimentally derived data such as the masses of constituent elements are measured and converted into moles using molar masses. These amounts allow computation of whole-number ratios that define the empirical formula.

Once the empirical formula is established, additional information such as molar mass or percent composition can be used to ascertain the molecular formula, which represents the actual numbers of atoms of each element in a molecule of the compound. A chemical formula is essential as it gives insight into the composition of a compound as well as its structure, which has implications in various scientific fields such as medicine, engineering, and biology.