Final answer:
The empirical formula of a compound with 48.6% C, 8.2% H, and 43.2% O is determined by converting these percentages to moles, finding the simplest whole number ratio, and the final formula is C3H6O2.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the empirical formula of a compound with given mass percentages, you should first convert these percentages into moles. Assuming a 100 g sample, we can directly convert the percentages into grams: 48.6 g C, 8.2 g H, and 43.2 g O. Then, divide by the respective atomic masses (C: 12.01 g/mol, H: 1.008 g/mol, O: 16.00 g/mol) to get the number of moles of each element:
- C: 48.6 g ÷ 12.01 g/mol = 4.05 mol
- H: 8.2 g ÷ 1.008 g/mol = 8.13 mol
- O: 43.2 g ÷ 16.00 g/mol = 2.70 mol
To find the simplest whole number ratio, divide each mole value by the smallest number of moles calculated:
- C: 4.05 mol ÷ 2.70 mol = 1.50
- H: 8.13 mol ÷ 2.70 mol = 3.01
- O: 2.70 mol ÷ 2.70 mol = 1.00
The ratio of C: H: O is approximately 1.5:3:1. Since we want whole numbers, we can multiply each number by 2 to get a whole number ratio of 3:6:2, which simplifies to 3:6:2. Therefore, the empirical formula is C3H6O2.