An organic acid with a molecular weight of 88.0 g/mil was determined to be 54.55
ID: 998793 • Letter: A
Question
An organic acid with a molecular weight of 88.0 g/mil was determined to be 54.55% carbon, 9.09% hydrogen, and 36.36% oxygen. What is the empirical formula of the compound? What is the molecular formula of the compound? An organic acid with a molecular weight of 88.0 g/mil was determined to be 54.55% carbon, 9.09% hydrogen, and 36.36% oxygen. What is the empirical formula of the compound? What is the molecular formula of the compound? What is the empirical formula of the compound? What is the molecular formula of the compound?Explanation / Answer
molecular weight of organic acid = 88 g mol
okay so the first thing you need to do is remember that these are percentages.Therefore they are all parts of 100
carbon =54.55% = 0.5455
hydrogen = 9.09% = 0.0909
oxygen.=36.36% = 0.3636
These numbers are all portions of the 88 g/mol of the organic acid!
88 x .5455 = 48 g of C
88 x .0909 = 8.0g of H
88 x .3636 = 32 g of O
Now that you know what portions of the organic acid are what, we will use the atomic masses of each element to put them in perspective of moles!
48 / 12 = 4 mol of C
8 / 1 = 8 mol of H
32 / 16 = 2 mol of O
Therefore, your molecular formula is C4H8O2
We're not done though! The empirical formula is extremely easy to find from here! Since your lowest number of moles is 2 (oxygen) you divide all the coefficients by 2 as well to get your empirical formula!
4/2----> 2 mol of C
8/2----> 4 mol of H
2/2----> 1 mol of O
Therefore, your empirical formula is C2H4O
I really hope I was able to help! Good luck with everything :).
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