An organic compound contains 40.0% carbon, 6.7% hydrogen and 53.3% oxygen. What is the empirical formula of the compound? [O = 16.0, C = 12.0, H = 1.0]

Answer Details

To determine the empirical formula of the compound, we need to find the simplest whole number ratio of the atoms present in the compound. Assume we have 100g of the compound. This means that we have: - 40.0g of Carbon - 6.7g of Hydrogen - 53.3g of Oxygen Next, we need to convert the mass of each element to moles. We can do this by dividing the mass of each element by its atomic weight: - Moles of Carbon = 40.0g ÷ 12.0g/mol = 3.33 moles - Moles of Hydrogen = 6.7g ÷ 1.0g/mol = 6.7 moles - Moles of Oxygen = 53.3g ÷ 16.0g/mol = 3.33 moles We can then divide each of the mole values by the smallest mole value to get the simplest whole number ratio: - Carbon: 3.33 ÷ 3.33 = 1 - Hydrogen: 6.7 ÷ 3.33 = 2.01 (approx. 2) - Oxygen: 3.33 ÷ 3.33 = 1 Therefore, the empirical formula of the compound is CH₂O. The correct answer is (c) CH₂O.