Final answer:
The purpose of the lab report is to determine the empirical formula of a compound by measuring element masses, converting them to moles, and finding the simplest ratio of these elements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of a determination of a chemical formula lab report is to identify the empirical formula of an unknown compound by analyzing its elemental composition through combustion analysis or other types of elemental analysis. This is done by measuring the masses of the elements present in the compound and converting these masses to moles, which are then used to find the simplest whole-number ratio of these elements.
This ratio is the empirical formula, which may be the same as or a simplified version of the compound's molecular formula. For instance, glucose has an empirical formula of CH2O, but its molecular formula is C6H12O6. In order to determine the molecular formula from the empirical formula, the molar mass of the compound must be known.