What is the empirical formula of a compound containing forty percent carbon, six point seven percent hydrogen, and fifty-three point three percent oxygen by mass?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Dividing the percentage mass of each element by its respective atomic mass yields relative mole proportions of three point three three for carbon, six point six five for hydrogen, and three point three three for oxygen, giving a simplest whole number ratio of one is to two is to one, which corresponds to CH2O. This empirical formula represents the simplest ratio of atoms, shared by formaldehyde, acetic acid, and glucose. Molecular formulas are whole-number multiples of empirical formulas determined using molar mass.