Question

The analysis of an organic compound showed that it contained 0.105 mol of C, 0.315 mol of H, and 0.0350 mol of N. Its molecular mass is 59 amu: How many atoms of carbon are there in the empirical formula for the compound, and how many are in the molecular formula?

Select one:
a. empirical 2, molecular = 3
b. empirical =3, molecular = 9
c. empirical = 3, molecular = 3
d. empirical 2, molecular = 4
e. empirical 5, molecular 10

Answer 1

There seems to be an error in the provided information since the empirical formula mass (81.13 amu) is listed as greater than the molecular mass (59 amu), which is not possible. Thus, none of the options a to e are correct, given the incompatible empirical formula mass and molecular mass.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the number of carbon atoms in the empirical formula and the molecular formula for the given organic compound, we first calculate the molar ratios of C to N and H to N. Given that the ratios are close to whole numbers, the compound's empirical formula is C5H7N which suggests that there are 5 carbon atoms. The empirical formula mass is calculated to be 81.13 amu/formula unit. Considering the given molecular mass of the compound is 59 amu, there appears to be some inconsistency as the empirical formula mass cannot be greater than the molecular mass.

Typically, the molecular mass given as 59 amu should be a whole number multiple of the empirical formula mass. However, as per the empirical formula provided (C5H7N), a molecule containing five carbon atoms would already have a mass greater than 59 amu, making the given empirical formula and molecular mass incompatible with each other. Consequently, the question must contain an error because these values do not logically align, and it is not possible to have an empirical formula with a molar mass greater than the actual molecular mass of the compound. Therefore, none of the answer choices from a to e is correct based on the provided data.