Chapter 10: Problem 28
A \(0.0130-\mathrm{g}\) sample of a gas with an empirical formula of \(\mathrm{C}_{4} \mathrm{H}_{5}\) is placed in a 165 -mL flask. It has a pressure of \(13.7 \mathrm{mm}\) Hg at \(22.5^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\). What is the molecular formula of the compound?
Short Answer
Expert verified
The molecular formula of the compound is \( \text{C}_{8}\text{H}_{10} \).
Step by step solution
01
Convert Pressure to Atmospheres
First, convert the pressure from mm Hg to atmospheres because the ideal gas constant often uses this unit. Use the conversion 1 atm = 760 mm Hg.\[ P = \frac{13.7 \, \text{mm Hg}}{760 \, \text{mm Hg/atm}} = 0.0180 \, \text{atm} \]
02
Convert Volume to Liters
Convert the volume from milliliters to liters. Knowing there are 1000 mL in 1 L:\[ V = \frac{165 \, \text{mL}}{1000 \, \text{mL/L}} = 0.165 \, \text{L} \]
03
Convert Temperature to Kelvin
Convert the temperature from degrees Celsius to Kelvin by adding 273.15:\[ T = 22.5 + 273.15 = 295.65 \, \text{K} \]
04
Calculate Moles using Ideal Gas Law
Use the ideal gas law \( PV = nRT \) to determine the number of moles \( n \). Using \( R = 0.0821 \, \text{L atm/mol K} \):\[ n = \frac{PV}{RT} = \frac{0.0180 \, \text{atm} \times 0.165 \, \text{L}}{0.0821 \, \text{L atm/mol K} \times 295.65 \, \text{K}} \approx 1.21 \times 10^{-4} \, \text{mol} \]
05
Calculate Molar Mass of the Gas
Use the mass of the sample and the moles just calculated to find the molar mass.\[ \text{Molar Mass} = \frac{0.0130 \, \text{g}}{1.21 \times 10^{-4} \, \text{mol}} \approx 107.44 \, \text{g/mol} \]
06
Find Empirical Formula Mass
Determine the empirical formula mass of \( \text{C}_4\text{H}_5 \): \[ 4 \times 12.01 \, \text{g/mol (C)} + 5 \times 1.008 \, \text{g/mol (H)} = 53.06 \, \text{g/mol} \]
07
Determine the Molecular Formula
Divide the molar mass by the empirical formula mass to find the ratio:\[ \text{Ratio} = \frac{107.44 \, \text{g/mol}}{53.06 \, \text{g/mol}} \approx 2.02 \]This suggests that the molecular formula is twice the empirical formula:\( \text{Molecular Formula} = \text{C}_{8}\text{H}_{10} \)
Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!
-
Full Textbook Solutions
Get detailed explanations and key concepts
-
Unlimited Al creation
Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...
-
Ads-free access
To over 500 millions flashcards
-
Money-back guarantee
We refund you if you fail your exam.
Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91Ó°ÊÓ!
Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Empirical Formula
The empirical formula of a compound provides the simplest whole number ratio of the elements present. It doesn't reveal the actual number of atoms, but gives a foundational guideline of proportions.
For example, in the empirical formula \(\text{C}_4\text{H}_5\), this means for every four carbon atoms, there are five hydrogen atoms. To compute an empirical formula, you need to:
For example, in the empirical formula \(\text{C}_4\text{H}_5\), this means for every four carbon atoms, there are five hydrogen atoms. To compute an empirical formula, you need to:
- Determine the mass percentage of each element in the compound.
- Convert these percentages to moles by dividing by the atomic mass of each element.
- Reduce the mole ratios to the smallest whole numbers.
Ideal Gas Law
The Ideal Gas Law is a critical tool in chemistry and physics, relating pressure, volume, temperature, and number of moles of a gas. It's expressed in the formula:\[ PV = nRT \]where:
- \( P \) is the pressure of the gas.
- \( V \) is the volume.
- \( n \) is the number of moles.
- \( R \) is the ideal gas constant \(0.0821 \, \text{L atm/mol K}\).
- \( T \) is the absolute temperature in Kelvin.
Molar Mass Calculation
Molar mass is the mass attributed to one mole of a given substance and is an essential component in determining molecular formulas.To calculate it, you divide the mass of the sample in grams by the moles calculated:\[ \text{Molar Mass} = \frac{\text{mass} (\text{g})}{\text{moles} (\text{mol})} \]From the exercise, the molar mass is estimated as \(107.44 \, \text{g/mol}\). With the empirical formula mass known (\(53.06 \, \text{g/mol}\)), you can determine how many empirical units fit into the molar mass:
Divide the molar mass by the empirical formula mass:\[ \text{Ratio} = \frac{107.44}{53.06} \approx 2.02 \]This tells you that the molecular formula is essentially twice the empirical formula, leading us to derive the molecular formula \(\text{C}_8\text{H}_{10}\). This concept links the abstract calculation to a real-world compound's structure.
Divide the molar mass by the empirical formula mass:\[ \text{Ratio} = \frac{107.44}{53.06} \approx 2.02 \]This tells you that the molecular formula is essentially twice the empirical formula, leading us to derive the molecular formula \(\text{C}_8\text{H}_{10}\). This concept links the abstract calculation to a real-world compound's structure.