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Chemistry, Chapt 3, Formulae
Chemistry, Chapt 3, Formulae
Chemistry, Chapt 3, Formulae
2. Example :
(i) The chemical formula of water is H2O. This formula indicates that,
• The elements present in a molecule of water are hydrogen and oxygen only.
• two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom are combined together to formed
one molecule of water.
C2H4O2
(ii) The chemical formula of ethanoic acid is CH3COOH This formula shows that :
• The elements present are ………………………, ………………………, and
………………….
• 2 …………… atoms, 4 …………… atoms and 2…………… atoms combined
together to form a molecule of ethanoic acid.
C:H C:H
Butene C4H8 4:8 1:2
CH2
C:H C:H
Ethane C2H6 2:6 1:3
CH3
Butane C4H10
C:H:O
Ethanoic acid CH3COOH 2 :4 :2
Glucose C6H12O6
Water H2O
Quinine C20H24N2O2
5. The following shows the steps in determining the empirical formula of a compound,
Step 1 : Get the mass or percentage of each element in the compound.
Step 2 : Calculate the number of moles of each element in the compound
by dividing the mass of the element by the relative atomic of the element.
m
n Ar
Step 3 : Next, divide each number by the smallest number to obtain the simplest ratio.
Step 4 : Finally, write the empirical formula of the compound based on the simplest ratio of
moles of the element.
Example :
1. 14.2 g of chlorine combined with 3.2 g of oxygen to form a compound. Determine the empirical
formula of this compound.
[ Relative atomic mass : O = 16; Cl = 35.5 ]
Element Cl O
Mass (g) 14.2 3.2
14 .2 3.2
Number of moles (mol) = 0.4 = 0.2
35 .5 16
0.4 0.2
Ratio of moles =2 =1
0.2 0.2
2. When 16.0 g of copper oxide is reduced by hydrogen gas, 12.8 g of copper metal is obtained.
Determine the empirical formula of copper oxide.
[ Relative atomic mass : O = 16; Cu = 64 ]
Element Cu O
Mass (g) 12.8 16.0 - 12.8 = 3.2
12 .8 3.2
m Number of moles (mol) = 0.2 = 0.2
64 16
n Ar
0.2 0.2
Ratio of moles = 1 = 1
0.2 0.2
3. Tobacco contains nicotine. Chemical analysis of the compound shows that nicotine contains :
• 74.10 % carbon
• 8.64 % hydrogen
• and the rest is nitrogen
Element C H N
Percents (%) 74.10 8.64 100 – (74.10 + 8.64) = 17.26
Mass in 100 g of
74.10 8.64 17.26
nicotine / g
74 .10 8.64 17 .26
Number of moles (mol) = 6.175 = 8.640 = 1.233
12 1 14
4. It is found that x g of metal M combines with 9.6 g of oxygen to form a compound with the
empirical formula M2O3. Determine the value of x.
[ Relative atomic mass : M = 52; O = 16 ]
Element M O
Mass (g) x 9.6
x 9.6
Number of moles (mol) =y = 0.6
52 16
y 0.6
Ratio of moles =2 =3
0.2 0.2
y
= 2
0.2
y = 2 × 0.2
= 0.4
x
=y
52
x = 52 × 0.4
= 20.8 g
Element N Cl
Mass (g) 11.2 21.3
11 .2 21 .3
Number of moles (mol) =y = 0.6
X 35 .5
y 0.6
Ratio of moles =1 =3
0.2 0.2
y
= 1
0.2
y = 0.2
11 .2
= 0.2
X
11 .2
X =
0 .2
= 56
C2 Molecular Formula
6. The following shows the steps in determining the molecular formula of a compound,
Step 1 : Get the Empirical Formula and the Relative Molecular Mass of the compound.
n is positive integer
Step 4 : Next, replace the value of n into the assumed molecular formula.
Step 5 : Finally, write down the correct molecular formula.
Example :
Chapter 3 20 Chemical Formulae and Equations
4541 CHEMISTRY Chapter 3
Butane has the empirical formula of C2H5 and relative molecular mass of 58. Find its molecular
formula.
[ Relative atomic mass : H = 1; C = 12 ]
Assume that the molecular formula is (C2H5)n
n[2(12) + 5(1)] = 58
29n = 58
58
n =
29
= 2
Activity 11 :-
Chapter 3 21 Chemical Formulae and Equations
4541 CHEMISTRY Chapter 3
1. When 1.51 g of oxide of metal P is heated in hydrogen gas, 1.19 g of metal P is produced.
What is the empirical formula of the oxide of P?
[ Relative atomic mass : O = 16; P = 119 ]
2. 3.6 g of metal Q combined with 2.4 g oxygen to form a compound with the empirical formula
QO3. Determine the relative atomic mass of Q.
[ Relative atomic mass : O = 16 ]
4. A compound contains 12.77 % of carbon 2.13 % of hydrogen and 85.10 % of bromine by mass.
(a) Find the empirical formula of the compound
(b) Given the molar mass of the compound is 188 g mol-1, determine its molecular formula.
[ Relative atomic mass : H = 1; C = 12; Br = 80 ]
There are two methods to determine the empirical formula of the metal oxides :
(i) reactive metals such as magnesium and calcium, can be determined by burning a
known mass of the metal in air/oxygen gas (oxidation).
(ii) metal oxides of less reactive metals such as copper, lead, tin and iron (ferum) can be
determined by heating a known mass of the metal oxide with dry hydrogen gas
(reduction).
☺ Discussion
There are two methods used to determine the empirical formula of the metal oxides :
Method I :
Burning of magnesium in air/oxygen gas (oxidation). [ Mg is a reactive metal ]
2Mg + O2 2MgO
Method II :
Copper(II) oxide reacts with hydrogen gas (reduction). [ Cu is less reactive metal ]
Copper(II) oxide
Combustion tube
Dilute
hydrochloric acid Asbestos paper
Heat
CuO + H2 Cu + H2O
This method can also be used to determine the empirical formula of metal oxides of less reactive
metals such as lead(II) oxide and tin(III) oxide.
The empirical formula of copper(II) oxide cannot be determined by heating copper(II) oxide with
reactive metals such as magnesium or calcium, because both the reactants and products are solids and
cannot be separate at the end of the experiment.
Example :
Construct the chemical formula of :
(i) Sodium chloride
Name of compound Sodium chloride
+ -
The cation and anion present Cation : Na Anion : Cl
Charge of the ions +1 -1
Cross 1 1
Cross 1 2
Cross 2 3
Activity 12 :-
Write the chemical formulae of the following compounds :
Reactants → Products
A balanced chemical equation has the following characteristic : [ Refer to Clinic Module 2 ]
the correct formulae for reactants and products of the reaction.
the same number of atom of each elements on the right and the left.
Activity 13 :-
1. Write a chemical equation in word for each of the following reactions :
(i) When solid zinc carbonate is heated strongly, it decomposed into solid zinc oxide and carbon
dioxide gas is released.
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
(ii) Ammonia gas reacts with hydrogen chloride gas to produce ammonium chloride fume.
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
(iii) A solution of lead(II) nitrate is added to a solution of potassium iodide. Yellow precipitate of
lead(II) iodide and a solution of potassium nitrate are produced.
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Write a balanced equation using chemical formulae for each of the following reaction :
(i) Carbon monoxide gas + oxygen gas → carbon dioxide gas
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
(iv) Silver nitrate solution is added to calcium chloride. Silver chloride precipitate and calcium
nitrate solution is produced.
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
(v) When aluminium nitrate is heated strongly, it decomposes into aluminium oxide, nitrogen
dioxide and oxygen gas.
Chapter 3 28 Chemical Formulae and Equations
4541 CHEMISTRY Chapter 3
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Given that,
Qualitative aspects :
The reactants are …………… gas and ………………. gas reacted to form ………… in liquid
state as a product.
Quantitative aspects :
Activity 14 :-
Based on the following equation, answer all the questions below :
(iii) When 0.5 mol of Na2SO4 is reacted, ……..…. mol of NaCl is produced.
Chapter 3 29 Chemical Formulae and Equations
4541 CHEMISTRY Chapter 3
(iv) When …..……. mol of BaCl2 is reacted, 2.5 mol of BaSO4 is produced.
(v) When …..……. mol of BaCl2 is reacted, 0.25 mol of NaCl is produced.
Example 1 :
Aluminium reacts with copper(II) oxide according to the following equation :
12
Number of mole of CuO = 64 +16
= 0.15 mol
Mass of Al = 0.1 × 27
= 2.7 g
Example 2 :
A student heats 20 g of calcium carbonate strongly. It decomposes according to the equation below.
20
(i) Number of mole of CaCO3 =
40 +12 +3(16 )
= 0.2 mol
Activity 15 :-
Reactants : …………………………………………………………………………….
Products : …………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Chapter 3 31 Chemical Formulae and Equations
4541 CHEMISTRY Chapter 3
(c) Calculate :
(i) the number of moles of sodium sulphate that react completely with a solution
containing 2.08 g of barium chloride.
[ Relative atomic mass : Cl = 35.5; Ba = 137 ]
(ii) the mass of barium sulphate formed when 50 cm3 of 2.0 mol dm-3 sodium sulphate
solution is reacted with excess barium chloride solution.
[ Relative atomic mass : O = 16; S = 32; Ba = 137 ]
KClO3 KCl + O2
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
(b) Based on the balanced equation, calculate the volume of oxygen gas produced at room
conditions from the decomposition of 24.5 g of potassium chlorate(V).
[ Relative atomic mass : O = 16; Cl = 35.5; K = 39
Molar volume of gas: 24.0 dm3 mol-1 at room conditions]
3 When chlorine gas is passed over heated X wool, a chloride compound with 34.5 % X by mass is
formed.
[ Relative atomic mass : Cl = 35.5; X = 56 ]
(b) If the relative formula mass of the chloride compound formed is 162.5, what is the molecular
formula of the chloride compound?
(c) Write an equation for the reaction between X and chlorine gas.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
(d) Calculate the mass of the chloride compound produced when 11.2 g X reacts completely with
chlorine.
END OF CHAPTER 3