Final answer:
The simplest formula (or empirical formula) of the compound is N2O.
Step-by-step explanation:
The empirical formula of a compound is determined by finding the ratio of its elements. To find the simplest formula, we need to determine the smallest whole number ratio of nitrogen to oxygen in the compound. From the given masses, we can calculate the number of moles of each element.
Nitrogen: 56 g / 14 g/mol = 4 moles
Oxygen: 32 g / 16 g/mol = 2 moles
Since the ratio of nitrogen to oxygen is 4:2, the simplest formula (or empirical formula) of the compound is N2O, as option (b) suggests.