Question

Phosphoric acid, HyPO, contains 3.023 g of hydrogen, 30.974 g of phosphorus, and

63.996 g of oxygen. Find the percent composition of phosphorus, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Answer 1

The percent composition of phosphorus, hydrogen, and oxygen in phosphoric acid are approximately 31.6%, 3.08%, and 65.3%.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the percent composition of phosphorus, hydrogen, and oxygen in phosphoric acid (H3PO4), we need to first calculate the molar mass of the compound.

Molar mass of H3PO4 = 3(1.008 g/mol) + 30.974 g/mol + 4(15.999 g/mol) = 98.0 g/mol

Next, we can calculate the percent composition of each element as follows:

Percent composition of hydrogen = (3.023 g H / 98.0 g H3PO4) x 100% ≈ 3.08%

Percent composition of phosphorus = (30.974 g P / 98.0 g H3PO4) x 100% ≈ 31.6%

Percent composition of oxygen = (63.996 g O / 98.0 g H3PO4) x 100% ≈ 65.3%

Therefore, the percent composition of phosphorus, hydrogen, and oxygen in phosphoric acid are approximately 31.6%, 3.08%, and 65.3%, respectively.