Final answer:
To find the empirical formula of the hydrated compound, we compare the masses of the anhydrous salt and water. After calculations, the empirical formula for the hydrated compound is Be(NO3)2 • 4H2O.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the empirical formula of the hydrated compound, we need to compare the masses of the anhydrous salt and the water. In this case, the mass of the anhydrous salt is 1.587 grams. Since we started with 2.436 grams of the hydrate, the mass of water can be calculated by subtracting the mass of the anhydrous salt from the initial mass of the hydrate (2.436 g - 1.587 g = 0.849 g).
Next, we need to convert the mass of water to moles by dividing it by the molar mass of water (18.015 g/mol). In this case, the number of moles of water is approximately 0.047 moles.
Now, we can determine the molar ratio between the anhydrous salt and water. The molar ratio is found by dividing the number of moles of water by the number of moles of anhydrous salt. In this case, since the number of moles of anhydrous salt is 1.587 g divided by the molar mass of the anhydrous salt (the molar mass of Be(NO3)2 is 133.01 g/mol), the number of moles of anhydrous salt is approximately 0.012 moles. Therefore, the molar ratio is approximately 0.047 moles of water divided by 0.012 moles of anhydrous salt, which simplifies to a ratio of 4:1.
Based on this ratio, the empirical formula of the hydrated compound can be determined. Since the formula for Be(NO3)2 represents the anhydrous salt, the empirical formula for the hydrated compound is Be(NO3)2 • 4H2O.