Final answer:
The empirical formula of the compound of uranium and fluorine, composed of 67.6% uranium and 32.4% fluorine, is UF6.
Step-by-step explanation:
The empirical formula of a compound is the simplest whole-number ratio of the elements present in the compound. To determine the empirical formula of the compound of uranium and fluorine, we need to calculate the mole ratios between the two elements. Given that the compound is composed of 67.6% uranium and 32.4% fluorine, we can assume a 100g sample of the compound. This means we have 67.6g of uranium and 32.4g of fluorine.
To find the mole ratios, we need to convert the mass of each element to moles. The molar mass of uranium is 238.03 g/mol, and the molar mass of fluorine is 18.998 g/mol. Using these molar masses, we can calculate the moles of each element:
- Moles of uranium = 67.6g / 238.03 g/mol = 0.2840 mol
- Moles of fluorine = 32.4g / 18.998 g/mol = 1.7044 mol
Next, we need to find the simplest whole-number ratio between uranium and fluorine. By dividing both moles by the smallest mole value (0.2840 mol), we get a ratio of uranium to fluorine of approximately 1:6. We can round this to the nearest whole number, giving us the empirical formula UF6. Therefore, the empirical formula of the compound is UF6.