CHAPTER 6

QUANTITATIVE COMPOSITION OF COMPOUNDS

6.0 THE CONCEPT OF MOLE AND MOLAR MASS

Mole is an expression of an amount of substance. It is an amount of substance that

contains 6.02x1023 particles of that substance. Therefore, one mole of any substance contains
6.02x1023 particles. The particles can be atoms if the substance is an element, or molecules if the
substance is a compound. Since atom of each element has a unique atomic mass, the mass of
6.02x1023 atoms of Mg or one mole of Mg is different from the mass of 6.02x10 23atoms of Na or
one mole of Na.

To convert the amount of substance in moles to the amount of substance in grams, one
uses the unit called atomic mass unit or amu. An amu is the unit used to express the mass of a
proton, a neutron, an electron, an atom, or a molecule, and is equivalent to 1.66054x10-24grams.
Thus, if the mass of the atom of an element in amu is given, the mass of an atom in grams can be
calculated.

Example 6.1

Comparing elements Mg and Na.

Solution
−24
24.3 amu 1.66054 x 10 gram
Mass of 1 atom of Mg = x = 4.04x10-23 grams.
1atomMg 1 amu

In the same manner, the mass of one atom of Na is given by:

−24
23.0 amu 1.66054 x 10 gram
Mass of 1 atom of Na = x = 3.82x10-23grams
1atomNa 1amu

6.1 MOLAR MASS

The mass of one mole of any substance is called the molar mass and the molar mass
varies from one substance to another because atomic or molecular mass varies.
Calculating for the mass of 6.02x1023 atoms of Mg or one mole of Mg:
Mass of 1 mole of Mg = [6.02x1023atomsMg][4.04x10-23grams/atomMg]
 = 24.3grams

And the mass of 6.02x1023 atoms of Na or one mole of Na is given by:

Mass of one mole of Na = [6.02x1023atomsNa][3.82x10-23grams/atomNa]
= 23.0grams
It is clear from the above calculations that the mass of one mole of Mg is different from
the mass of one mole of Na since their atomic masses are different but one mole of Mg and one
mole of Na both contain the same number of particles, in this case, atoms.
Also note that there is correspondence between the mass of one particle of a substance in
amu and the mass of one mole of the same substance in grams. If the mass of one atom of Mg is
24.3amu, then the mass of one mole of Mg is 24.3grams. If the mass of one atom of Na is
23.0amu, then the mass of one mole of Na is 23.0grams.

Note: The atomic masses of all the elements in atomic mass unit (amu) can be found in the
periodic table of elements

Likewise, the mass of one mole of a compound is different from the mass of one mole of
another compound.

Example 6.2
Comparing compound HCl and H2O,
Mass of 1 molecule of HCl = (36.5amu/1molecule HCl)(1.66054x10-24gram/1amu)

= 6.06x10-23grams

Mass of one mole of HCl = (6.02x1023 moleculesHCl)(6.06x10-23grams/moleculeHCl)

= 36.5gramsHCl

In the same way, the mass of H2O can be calculated:

Mass of one molecule of H2O = (18.0amu/1moleculeH2O)(1.66054x10-24gram/1amu)

= 2.99x10-23grams

Mass of one mole of H2O = 6.02x1023molecules H2O(2.99x10-23gram/moleculeH2O)

= 18.0grams

The same conclusion can be said about one mole of HCl and one mole of H 2O. The mass
of one mole of HCl is different from the mass of one mole of H2O yet both contain the same
number of particles, in this case, molecules. The correspondence between the mass of one
molecule of a substance and the mass of one mole of that substance also exist. If the molecular
mass of H2O is 18 amu, the molar mass is 18grams.

6.2. INTERCONVERSION OF MASSES, MOLES, AND NUMBER OF PARTICLES

Moles to grams

Example 6.3

How many grams of CO2 are there in 0.50 mole CO2?

Solution

Grams CO2 = 0.50 mole CO2 [44 grams / 1.0 mole CO2]

= 22 grams CO2

Grams to moles

Example 6.4

How many moles of NaCl are there in 5.844 grams NaCl?

Solution

Moles NaCl = 5.844 grams NaCl [1.0 mole NaCl / 58.44grams NaCl]

= 0.10 moles NaCl

Moles to number of particles

Example 6.7

How many molecules of CO2 are there in 0.50 moles CO2?

Solution

Number of molecules CO2 = 0.50 moles CO2 [6.02x1023 molecules CO2/1.0 mole CO2]

= 3.01x1023 molecules CO2

6.3 MOLE CONCEPT APPLIED TO IONIC COMPOUNDS

Example 6.8

Given 0.50 mole FeCl3, determine the number of moles of Fe3+ ion and Cl- ion.

Solution
 For every mole of FeCl3, there is one mole of Fe 3+ and three moles of Cl- so that for 0.5
mole FeCl3, there is 0.5 mole Fe3+ and 1.5 mole Cl-.

Example 6.9

How many moles of Ba2+ ions and PO43- ions are present in 1.0 mole of Ba3(PO4)2?

Solution

In the same manner, if there is 1.0 mole of Ba3(PO4)2, there are 3.0 moles of Ba2+ ions and
2.0 moles of PO43- ions present.

6.4 EMPIRICAL AND MOLECULAR FORMULA

Empirical formula of a substance is a chemical formula that gives the smallest whole
number ratio of atoms of each element present in the substance while the molecular formula is a
chemical formula that gives the actual number of atoms of each element consisting the
compound.
The molecular formula of water is H 2O. The formula tells us that there are two atoms of
hydrogen and one atom of oxygen for every molecule of water. Incidentally, the molecular
formula of water is the same as its empirical formula because H 2O gives the smallest whole
number ratio for hydrogen to oxygen which is 2:1. This is not the case for hydrogen peroxide
with molecular formula of H2O2. It contains two atoms of hydrogen and two atoms of oxygen per
molecule of H2O2 giving a ratio of 2:2. This ratio can be further reduced to 1:1 giving an
empirical formula of HO for hydrogen peroxide.
Molecular formula of water = H2O

Empirical formula of water = H2O

Molecular formula of hydrogen peroxide = H2O2

Empirical formula of hydrogen peroxide = HO

6.5 FORMULA WEIGHT AND MOLECULAR WEIGHT

The formula weight (FW) of a compound is the sum of atomic weights of all atoms in a
given chemical formula. If the chemical formula is the molecular formula, then the formula
weight becomes the molecular weight (MW).
Example 6.10

Find the empirical formula of diphosphorous pentoxide (P2O5).

Solution
Formula weight = 2(atomic weight of Phosphorous) + 5(atomic weight of Oxygen)

= 2(31 amu) + 5(16 amu) = 142 amu

Example 6.11
Calculate the molecular weight of tetraphosphorus decoxide (P4O10).
Solution
Molecular weight = 4(atomic weight of Phosphorous) + 10(atomic weight of Oxygen)
= 4(31 amu) + 10(16 amu) = 284amu

Example 6.12
Find the molecular weight of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
Solution
Molecular weight = 2(atomic weight of hydrogen) + 2(atomic weight of oxygen)
= 2(1.0 amu) + 2(16.0 amu) = 34.0 amu

6.6 PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION OF COMPOUNDS

The percentage composition of a compound gives the mass percentage of each element in
the compound. The percentage composition remains the same even if the amount of sample of
the compound varies.
Example 6.13
Calculate for the percentage composition of water (H2O).
Solution
% H = [2(atomic weight of Hydrogen) / molecular weight of H2O] x100
= [2(1.0amu) / 18.0 amu] x100 = 11.1 %
%O = [(atomic weight of oxygen) / molecular weight of H2O] x100
= [16.0 amu /18.0 amu] x100 = 88.9 %
When one mole of water is present, this is equivalent to 18.0 grams of water. This
contains 2.0 grams hydrogen corresponding to 11.1% and 16.0 grams oxygen corresponding to
88.9% of 18.0 grams of water.

6.7 EMPIRICAL FORMULA FROM PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION

Example 6.14

A 3.40 grams substance was found to contain 5.88% hydrogen and 94.12% oxygen.
Determine the empirical formula of the compound.

Solution
1. Solve for the mass of each element
Mass of H = 0.0588(3.40grams) = 1.992grams
Mass of O = 0.9412(3.40grams) = 32.008grams
2. Calculate the moles of each element from the obtained masses
Moles H = 1.992 grams [1.0 mole H / 1.0gram H] = 1.992 moles
Moles O = 32.008 grams [1.0 mole O / 16 grams O] = 2.00005 moles
3. Divide all the number of moles by the smallest number of moles and round off to whole
numbers. These whole numbers are the number of atom of each kind in the empirical
formula
1.992moles H / 1.992moles = 1 H
2.00005moles O / 1.992 moles = 1 O
Therefore, the empirical formula of the compound is HO. To get the molecular formula,
another data is required, and that is the molecular weight of the compound which can be
determined experimentally. For this compound, its molecular weight was found to be 34.0 amu.
The formula weight of this compound based on the empirical formula is 17.0 amu.. Dividing the
molecular weight by the formula weight gives
MW/FW = 34.0 amu / 17.0 amu = 2.00

The integer derived here is the multiplier of the subscript in the empirical formula to
arrive at the molecular formula. Since all the subscript in the empirical formula is 1, then all the
subscripts in the molecular formula become 2 such that the molecular formula for this compound
is H2O2. The compound turned out to be hydrogen peroxide!

https://slideplayer.com/slide/14642873/ Stoichiometry Part 1

 Chapter 6 Exercises

Name:______________________________________________ Time/Day:_________________

Course:_______________ Score:_____________________

1 How many moles of NaOH (FW = 40g/mol) are there in 2.0 grams NaOH?

2 How many grams of Na2CO3 (FW=106g/mol0 are there in 0.50 moles Na2CO3?

3 How many particles of H2O (FW = 18g/mol) are there in 1.8 grams of H2O?

4 How much does 6.02 x 1023 molecules of CO2 (FW = 44g/mol) weigh?

5 How many moles of nitrate are there in 2.0 moles of Fe(NO3)3?

6 How many grams of nitrate are there in 2.0 moles Fe(NO3)3?

7 Calculate the formula weight of water.

8 What is the percentage composition of Na2CO3?

9 Determine the empirical formula of the compound containing 87.5% nitrogen and 12.5% H by
mass.

10 What is the molecular formula of the compound if its empirical formula is HCO 2 and its
molecular weight is 90.0 amu?