Final answer:
The empirical formula of the compound containing 40.0% C, 6.71% H, and 53.28% O is CH₂O.
Step-by-step explanation:
The empirical formula of a compound is the simplest ratio of the atoms present in the compound. To determine the empirical formula, we need to find the moles of each element in the compound. From the given information, we can calculate the moles of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Mass of carbon (C) = 40.0% of the compound's mass = 40.0 g
Mass of hydrogen (H) = 6.71% of the compound's mass = 6.71 g
Mass of oxygen (O) = 53.28% of the compound's mass = 53.28 g
Next, we need to convert the masses of each element to moles by dividing by their respective atomic masses.
Moles of carbon (C) = 40.0 g / 12.01 g/mol = 3.33 mol
Moles of hydrogen (H) = 6.71 g / 1.008 g/mol = 6.65 mol
Moles of oxygen (O) = 53.28 g / 16.00 g/mol = 3.33 mol
Now, divide the moles of each element by the smallest number of moles to get the simplest whole number ratio. In this case, the smallest number of moles is 3.33 mol.
Ratio of carbon (C) = 3.33 mol / 3.33 mol = 1
Ratio of hydrogen (H) = 6.65 mol / 3.33 mol = 2
Ratio of oxygen (O) = 3.33 mol / 3.33 mol = 1
Therefore, the empirical formula of the compound is C₁H₂O₁, which can be simplified to CH₂O.