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Guide to calculating
Empirical Formula
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
Example:
A laboratory experiment indicates that a compound contains 6.87g iron & 13.1g chlorine. What is the
empirical formula of this compound?
CHM167/chapter2/HaslizaYusof
EXERCISE
1. Some yellow crystals are analyzed & found to contain 2.32g Li and 2.68g O. What is the empirical
formula?
2. Calculate the EF for 3.57g N and 2.04g O?
3. Peroxyacylnitrate (PAN) is one of the components of smog containing percent composition by mass;
19.8% C, 2.50% H, 11.6% N and the remainder is oxygen. Determine the empirical formula of this
compound
EF
MF
CH2O
CH2O
CH2O
CH2O
C2H4O2
C3H6O3
Molar mass
(g/mol)
30.0
60.0
90.0
Integer x EF
(CH2O) 1
(CH2O) 2
(CH2O) 3
Guide to calculating a
MF from an EF
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
Integer x EF
mass
1 (30.0)
2 (60.0)
3 (90.0)
CHM167/chapter2/HaslizaYusof
Example:
Earlier we worked out the EF of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to be C 3H4O3. If we are given a molar mass of
176.12 g/mol for ascorbic acid, we can its MF
EXCERCISE
1. Naphthalene is a compound containing carbon & hydrogen that is often used in mothballs. Its
empirical formula is C5H4 and its molar mass is 128.16 g/mol. Find its molecular formula
2. Elemental analysis of butanedione gave the following mass percent composition: C, 55.80%, H,
7.03%; O, 37.17%. The molar mass of butanediane is 86.09 g/mol. Find the empirical formula and
molecular formula of butanediane
3. Nicotine, a stimulant found in tobacco, has the following mass percent composition: C, 74.03%; H,
8.70%; N, 17.27%. The molar mass of nicotine is 162.23 g/mol. Find the empirical formula and
molecular formula of nicotine.
4. Cumene is a hydrocarbon compound composed of C and H. It contains 89.94% of carbon. Its
molecular mass was found to be 120.2 g/mol. determine the empirical formula and the molecular
formula of this compound
CHM167/chapter2/HaslizaYusof
x 100%
Guide to
calculating %
composition
CHM167/chapter2/HaslizaYusof
TUTORIAL
1. Butane is compound containing carbon & hydrogen that is used as a fuel in butane lighters. Its
empirical formula is C2H5 and its molar mass is 58.12 g/mol. Find its molecular formula
2. A sample of urea contains 1.121 g N, 0.16 g H, 0.480g C and 0.640 g O. What is the empirical
formula of urea?
3. Acetic acid is a major component in the production of vinegar. Its analysis shows that vinegar
consists of 40% carbon, 6.71% hydrogen and 53.29% oxygen. If the molar mass of acetic acid is 60.0
g/mol, determine the empirical and molecular formula of acetic acid
4. Nicotine is a compound containing carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. A sample of 1.50 g of
nicotine is found to contain 1.11 g of carbon, 8.7 % by mass of hydrogen and the remainder
is nitrogen
a) Determine the empirical formula of this compound.
b) What is the molecular formula of nicotine if its molar mass is 162 g/mol.
5. Cumene is a hydrocarbon that is used in the production of phenol in industry. Combustion of 4.76 mg
of cumene produces 15.68 mg CO2 and 4.28 mg of H2O
a) calculate the percent composition by mass of C and H in cumene
b) calculate the empirical formula of cumene
c) determine the molecular formula if its molar mass is 120 g/mol
6. When 0.236 g aspirin is burned in excess O2, 0.519 g CO2 and 0.0945 g H2O are formed. Determine
the mass of C, H and O in aspirin