Examples

• 1. The molar mass (M) of Fe2(SO4)3 will

be?
• 2. A certain substance has a molar
mass of 28 g mol-1. Which of the
following is not a possible formula?
• A. CH2O
• B. Si
• C. C2H4
• D. CO
• Exercise:
• 1. Calculate the molar mass of the
following substance (correct to 1
decimal place)
• a) HI
• b) NaClO3
• c) (NH4)2HPO4
• d) (CO2H)2.2H2O
• e) Chromium (Ⅲ) oxide
• f) Iodine trichloride
Answers:
• Examples:
• 3. Determine the amount of substance
in 12.00 g of barium sulfate.

• 4. Determine the masses of 0.500

moles of borax crystals, Na2B4O7.10H2O.

• 5. 5.42 g of substance is found to

contain 0.0416 moles. Determine its
molar mass.
• Exercise
• 1. Vitamin C has the formula C6H8O6.
• a) The recommended daily dose of
vitamin C is 60.0 milligrams. Calculate
how many moles are you consuming if
you ingest 60 milligrams of vitamin.
• b) A typical tablet contains 1.00g of
vitamin C. Calculate how many mole of
vitamin C does this represents.
• c) When you consume 1.00g of vitamin
C, calculate how many oxygen atoms
are you eating.
• 2. Determine the mass of one molecule
of H2SO4.

• Past IB Paper
6. Empirical formula
• (1) Percentage composition
• The percentage by mass of each
element in a compound.

• Example:
• Calculate the percentage of oxygen in
CO2.
• (2) Empirical formula
• Empirical formula shows the simplest
whole number ratio of atoms present.
• Empirical formula determination
• Example 1 ：
• 2.476g of an oxide of copper is found to
contain 2.199g of copper. Determine its
empirical formula.
• Example 2
• Determine the empirical formula of a
compound of phosphorus and oxygen
that contain 43.63% phosphorus by
mass.
• How to calculate the empirical formula.
• In summary
• 1. Calculate the mole of each element
• 2. Find the simplest whole number ratio
between these moles
• Exercise:
• 5.694 g of an oxide of Co yield 4.046 g of
the metal on reduction. What was the
empirical formula of the oxide?

• Treatment of metallic copper with excess

of chlorine results in a yellow solid
compound which contains 47.2% copper,
and 52.8%chlrorine. Determine the
empirical formula of the compound.
•

• Past IB Paper Multiple choice

7. Molecular formula
• Molecular formula shows the actual
number of atoms of each element
present in a molecule.
For ethane:
Empirical formula= CH3
Molecular formula= CnH3n (where n is an integer)
If the M of ethane is known (30.08)
n = M (ethane)/M (empirical formula CH3)
= 30.08/15.04 = 2
Example
• 3. A hydrocarbon contains 92.24% by
mass of carbon and its Mr = 78.1.
Determine its molecular formula.
• How to determine the molecular formula
• In summary
• 1. Determine the empirical formula
• 2. Determine the value of
M (molecular formula)

M (empirical formula)

It should be an integer.
Exercises
• 1. An organic compound which had the
empirical formula CHO has a relative
molecular mass of 232. Its molecular
formula is?

Ans: 1. C8H8O8
• 2. Vitamin C, a compound contains C, H, O
only. When 2.00mg of Vitamin C was
burning, masses of CO2 and H2O formed are
3.00mg and 0.816mg, respectively. The
molar mass is found to be about 180 g mol-1.
From these data, determine the molecular
formula of vitamin C.

Ans: 1. C6H8O6

Past IB Papers