Final answer:
The mole ratio of Zn to Cl and the empirical formula are determined by converting mass to moles based on molar masses, then simplifying to the smallest whole-number ratio. This ratio can then be used to find the empirical formula, such as ZnCl2 for zinc chloride. Calculating % yield involves comparing actual yield to theoretical yield.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mole ratio of Zn to Cl is calculated by using the molar masses of zinc (Zn) and chlorine (Cl) and the mass of each element in a given sample. The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound. For example, if a compound contains 5.31 g of Cl and 8.40 g of O, we convert the mass of each element to moles by dividing by their respective molar masses. Then we divide by the smallest number of moles to find the smallest whole-number ratio. The process yields Cl0.1509O0.525, which simplifies to an empirical formula of ClO3.
To explain empirical formula determination in the given context of Zn and Cl: we need to find the number of moles of each element. Let's say 13 g of zinc reacts with Cl, we first find the moles of Zn by dividing 13 g by the molar mass of zinc (65.39 g/mol). Assuming Zn and Cl combine in a 1:2 ratio as in ZnCl2, twice as many moles of Cl as Zn will be needed for the empirical formula, which would thus be ZnCl2 in this example.
The % yield of a reaction can be found by dividing the actual yield by the theoretical yield and then multiplying by 100. If in a reaction the theoretical yield is found to be 88.3 g but the actual yield is 65.2 g, the % yield would be calculated as follows: (65.2 g / 88.3 g) × 100 = 73.84%.