Final answer:
To find the percentage of carbon in the organic compound, we calculate the mass of carbon from the CO2 produced and divide by the total mass of the compound. The percentage of carbon in the compound is found to be 18.17%.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the percentage of carbon in the given organic compound from its combustion products, we must first determine how much carbon is present in the 0.20 g of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced. The molar mass of carbon is 12.01 g/mol and the molar mass of CO2 is 44.01 g/mol. Therefore, in one mole of CO2, there is one mole of carbon atoms.
Next, we can set up a proportion to find the mass of carbon in the 0.20 g of CO2:
- (12.01 g C / 44.01 g CO2) = (x g C / 0.20 g CO2)
Solving for x gives us the mass of carbon:
- x = (12.01 g C / 44.01 g CO2) × 0.20 g CO2
- x = 0.0545 g C
Now, to find the percentage of carbon in the original compound, we divide the mass of carbon by the total mass of the organic compound and multiply by 100:
- (0.0545 g C / 0.30 g compound) × 100 = 18.17%
Therefore, the percentage of carbon in the given organic compound is 18.17%.