Answer: To calculate the empirical formula of the lead oxide, we need to determine the moles of lead and oxygen in the reactants and product, and then use these values to find the simplest whole-number ratio of lead to oxygen atoms in the compound.
Given:
Mass of lead (Pb) = 1.000 g
Mass of product = 1.154 g
First, we need to find the mass of oxygen that combined with the lead to form the product. We can do this by subtracting the mass of lead from the mass of the product:
Mass of oxygen = Mass of product - Mass of lead
Mass of oxygen = 1.154 g - 1.000 g
Mass of oxygen = 0.154 g
Next, we need to find the moles of lead and oxygen in the reaction:
Moles of lead = Mass of lead / Molar mass of lead
Moles of lead = 1.000 g / 207.2 g/mol
Moles of lead = 0.004830 mol
Moles of oxygen = Mass of oxygen / Molar mass of oxygen
Moles of oxygen = 0.154 g / 16.00 g/mol
Moles of oxygen = 0.009625 mol
Now, we need to find the simplest whole-number ratio of lead to oxygen atoms in the compound. We can do this by dividing the number of moles of each element by the smaller of the two values:
Lead: 0.004830 mol / 0.004830 mol = 1
Oxygen: 0.009625 mol / 0.004830 mol = 1.99
The ratio of lead to oxygen atoms is approximately 1:2, so the empirical formula of the lead oxide is PbO2.