Final answer:
The empirical formula of the compound containing 3.5 grams of Nitrogen and 8 grams of Oxygen is NO2.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the empirical formula of a compound, we need to determine the ratio of the elements present in the compound.
First, we need to convert the given masses of nitrogen and oxygen into moles. The molar mass of nitrogen is 14.01 g/mol and the molar mass of oxygen is 16.00 g/mol. Therefore, we have 0.25 mol of nitrogen (3.5 g / 14.01 g/mol) and 0.50 mol of oxygen (8 g / 16.00 g/mol).
Next, we divide the number of moles of each element by the smallest number of moles to find the simplest whole number ratio. In this case, the ratio is 1:2. Therefore, the empirical formula of the compound is NO2.