Emperical formulas from analyses

The empirical formula of a substance tells us the relative number of atoms of each element
it contains.

Ex. H2O contains 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom. Also at the molar level: 2 moles of
H for every one mol of O.

Example: An organic compound was found to contain the following percentage composition:

H = 2.22%, C = 26.67%, O = 71.11%. Find its empirical formula. (Relative atomic mass of H=1, C=12, O=16).

Solution:

The given problem is solved in the following table.

Empirical formula = H1C1O2 = HCO2.

Road Map to follow in order to find empirical formula:

Given: (mass % of elements)  assume 100g sample  calculate grams of each element
(it will be the same as the percentage)  use atomic weights to calculate moles of each
element  Calculate the mole ratio using the smallest ratio  obtain empirical formula

WE can also obtain the molecular formula from the empirical formula if we know the actual
mass of the molecule.

Road Map to follow in order to find molecular formula:

Given: (mass % of elements)  assume 100g sample  calculate grams of each element
(it will be the same as the percentage)  use atomic weights to calculate moles of each
element  Calculate the mole ratio using the smallest ratio  obtain empirical formula 
calculate the mass of the empirical formula  Divide the mass of the molecular formula
(given) by the empirical formula  obtain ratio  multiply the subscripts in the empirical
formula by the ratio to obtain molecular formula
Example:

The simplest formula for vitamin C is C3H4O3. Experimental data indicates that the molecular mass of vitamin C
is about 180. What is the molecular formula of vitamin C?

Solution

First, calculate the sum of the atomic masses for C3H4O3. Look The atomic masses are found to be:

H is 1.01
C is 12.01
O is 16.00

Plugging in these numbers, the sum of the atomic masses for C3H4O3 is:

3(12.0) + 4(1.0) + 3(16.0) = 88.0

This means the formula mass of vitamin C is 88.0.

Compare the formula mass (88.0) to the approximate molecular mass (180). The molecular mass is twice the
formula mass (180/88 = 2.0), so the simplest formula must be multiplied by 2 to get the molecular formula:

molecular formula vitamin C = 2 x C3H4O3 = C6H8O6

Answer

C6H8O6

Quantitative information from balanced equations:

2 H2 + O2  H2O

Here we can use the coefficients in the balanced equation to tell us the relative number of
moles as well as the number of molecules

≈ stoichoimetrically equivalent

2 mol H2 ≈1 mol O2 ≈ 2 mol H2O

Therefore knowing this key relationship, we can go from one side of the balanced equation
to the other by following this road map

Grams of Substance A  moles of substance A from molar mass of A  Use coefficients of

A and B from balanced equation  moles of substance B  calculate grams of substance B
using molar mass of substance B

Example:

2 C4H10 + 13 O2  8 CO2 + 10 H2O

Suppose we want to calculate the mass of CO2 burned when 1.00 g of C4H10 is lit.

Solution:

(1.0 g C4H10)*(1mol C4H10/58.0 g C4H10)*(8 mol CO2/2 mol C4H10)*(44.0 g CO2/1 mol
CO2) = 3.03g CO2

Limiting Reactants

- The reactant that is completely used up in a reaction (it determines or limits the
amount of product formed)

- Other reactant is the excess reactant

Example:

You are given the following reaction:

2 H2(g) + O2(g) → 2 H2O(l)

Calculate:

a. the stoichiometric ratio of moles H2 to moles O2

b. the actual moles H2 to moles O2 when 1.50 mol H2 is mixed with 1.00 mol O2
c. the limiting reactant (H2 or O2) for the mixture in (b)
Solution

a. The stoichiometric ratio is given by using the coefficients of the balanced equation.

2 mol H2 / mol O2

b. The actual ratio refers to the number of moles actually provided for the reaction. This may or may not be the
same as the stoichiometric ratio. In this case, it is different:

1.50 mol H2 / 1.00 mol O2 = 1.50 mol H2 / mol O2

c. Note that the actual ratio of smaller than the required or stoichiometric ratio, which means there is
insufficient H2 to react with all of the O2 that has been provided. The 'insufficient' component (H2) is the limiting
reactant. Another way to put it is to say that O2 is in excess. When the reaction has proceeded to completion,
all of the H2 will have been consumed, leaving some O2 and the product, H2O.

Answer

a. 2 mol H2 / mol O2
b. 1.50 mol H2 / mol O2
c. H2
Another Example:

A 2.00 g sample of ammonia is mixed with 4.00 g of oxygen. Which is the limiting reactant and how
much excess reactant remains after the reaction has stopped?

First, we need to create a balanced equation for the reaction:

4 NH3(g) + 5 O2(g) 4 NO(g) + 6 H2O(g)

Next we can use stoichiometry to calculate how much product is produced by each reactant. NOTE: It
does not matter which product is chosen, but the same product must be used for both reactants so that the
amounts can be compared.

The reactant that produces the lesser amount of product: in this case the oxygen.

Next, to find the amount of excess reactant, we must calculate how much of the non-limiting reactant
(oxygen) actually did react with the limiting reactant (ammonia).

We're not finished yet though. 1.70 g is the amount of ammonia that reacted, not what is left over. To
find the amount of excess reactant remaining, subtract the amount that reacted from the amount in the
original sample.

Theoretical Yields:

- Quantity of product that is calculated to form when all of the limiting reactant reacts

- The amount of product actually obtained is the actual yield

- Actual yield is almost always less than the theoretical yield (can never be greater than theoretical yield)

Theoretical yield = (actual yield / theoretical yield) * 100%