Final answer:
The question seeks the stoichiometric composition of a mix of household waste, combining food waste, non-recyclable plastics, and cardboard. Using general knowledge of the composition of these materials, the formula is likely carbohydrate-like, making the closest choice C6H12O6.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking to identify which formula best represents the combined stoichiometric composition of a sample of household waste. This involves estimating the average chemical formula of the combined waste materials, which include food waste, non-recyclable plastics, and cardboard. We can use combustion analysis to deduce the empirical formulae of the components, but without exact combustion data, we would typically approximate based on the types of waste.
Generally, food waste is composed of various organic compounds, which include carbohydrates (like C6H12O6), proteins, and fats, all of which contain the elements carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) predominantly. Plastics, such as polyethylene, are primarily composed of carbon and hydrogen, with an empirical formula reflected by CH2, and cardboard consists mainly of cellulose, a carbohydrate with the formula similar to C6H10O5 (repeating units).
Considering these components, and that food waste is the most plentiful among them, a representative stoichiometric composition for the combined waste in question might resemble that of carbohydrates more so than pure hydrocarbons or fibrous cellulose materials, indicating that one of the carbohydrate-like formulas is likely the best estimate.