Final answer:
The empirical formula for the compound is Fe3O44P.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the empirical formula of the compound, we need to determine the mole ratio of each element in the compound. Start by converting the mass of each element to moles. The molar mass of Fe is 55.85 g/mol, P is 30.97 g/mol, and O is 16.00 g/mol.
For Fe: 9.61 g Fe x (1 mol Fe / 55.85 g Fe) = 0.172 mol Fe
For P: 1.78 g P x (1 mol P / 30.97 g P) = 0.058 mol P
For O: (15.06 g - 9.61 g - 1.78 g) O x (1 mol O / 16.00 g O) = 2.47 mol O
Next, divide each mole value by the smallest mole value (0.058 mol P) to get the mole ratio:
Fe: P: O = 2.966 mol: 1 mol: 43 mol
The simplified mole ratio is approximately:
Fe: P: O = 3 mol: 1 mol: 44 mol
Therefore, the empirical formula for the compound is Fe3O44P.