Final answer:
To calculate the experimental molar mass of CO2, balance the chemical equation, measure the mass of CO2 produced, convert this to moles, and apply the ideal gas law to find the volume at STP. Be sure to correct for the buoyant force. Finally, find molar amounts of carbon and hydrogen to deduce the empirical formula.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the experimental molar mass of carbon dioxide, one must conduct a series of calculations based on the mass of CO2 produced during a chemical reaction. First, we should balance the chemical equation to understand the stoichiometry of the reaction. Then, by measuring the mass of CO2 produced and converting that mass to moles, we can employ the ideal gas law to calculate the volume of CO2 at standard temperature and pressure (STP).
When working out the problem, recall that the molar mass of carbon dioxide (CO2) can be found by adding together the atomic masses of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. Given the molecular weight of carbon as approximately 12.01 g/mol, and oxygen as approximately 16.00 g/mol, the molar mass of CO2 is 12.01 g/mol + (2 x 16.00 g/mol) = 44.01 g/mol. To obtain the experimental molar mass, you would divide the mass of the carbon dioxide sample by the moles of carbon dioxide calculated from the experiment.
Remember to correct for the buoyant force when measuring the mass of gas produced. This is critical in ensuring accurate results, as gases are affected by the buoyant force due to the displacement of air. This adjustment might be made by using the density of air and the volume of the gas collected.
Lastly, finding the molar amounts of carbon and hydrogen can help in determining the empirical formula of the compound by analyzing the ratios of carbon to hydrogen as shown in the masses of CO2 and H2O produced during combustion.