Question

There is a series of nitrogen oxides with the general formula N?O?. What is the empirical formula of one that contains 63.66% nitrogen?

Answer 1

N₂O

Step-by-step explanation:

Empirical formula is defined as the simplest whole number ratio of atoms presents in a molecule

For a nitrogen oxide that contains 63.66% of nitrogen, the percent of oxygen must be:

100-63.66 = 36.34% Oxygen

This percent is the percent in mass. To solve this question we must convert the mass of each atom to moles in order to find the simplest whole number ratio:

Moles of the atoms:

N = 63.66g * (1mol / 14g) = 4.547 moles N

O = 36.34g * (1mol / 16g) = 2.271 moles O

The ratio N:O is:

4.547 moles N / 2.271 moles O = 2

That means there are 2 atoms of N per atom of O and the empirical formula is:

N₂O