Question

When a 0.3546 g of vanadium metal is heated in air, it reacts with oxygen to achieve a

final mass of 0.6330 g. Calculate the empirical formula of this vanadium oxide

Answer 1

V2O5 is the empirical formula of vanadium oxide

Step-by-step explanation:

The molecular mass of Vanadium is 50.949 g/mol

Number of moles of vanadium = 0.3456 g/50.949 g/mol = 0.00696 moles

The molecular mass of Oxygen is 16.0 g/mol

Number of moles of Oxygen = (0.6330 – 0.354) g/16 g/mol = 0.0174 moles

Emperical formula

V (0.00696 moles/0.00696 moles) O (0.0174 moles /0.00696 moles)

V 1 O2.5

Multiply by two get a whole number

V2 O5