LESSON 6:

PERCENTAGE
COMPOSITION
 Molar Mass:

1.) Ca3(PO4)2 310 g/mol

2.) C6H12O6 180 g/mol
Objectives:
• Calculate the percentage composition of a
compound from its formula;
• Calculate the empirical formula from the
percent composition of a compound; and
• Calculate molecular formula given molar
mass
50% polyester & 50% cotton this is
the percent composition of the
shirts’s fabric
 PERCENT
COMPOSITION
of a compound
The relative amounts of the elements in a compound are
expressed as:

How the % by mass

• Percent composition computed?
• Or percent by mass of each
element in the compound  
x100%
How to compute percentage composition?

Step 1: Find the molar mass of the compound

H2 O

m𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠=𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑥𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠
 

Mass of H = 2 moles H x 1g/mole = 2g

Add
Mass of O = 1 mole O x 16 g/mole = 16 g

Molar Mass = 18 g
How to compute percentage composition?

Get the percentage composition of

Step 2: each element
 
H2 O x100%

x100%
  = 11%
100%
 
x100% = 89%
Sample 1: Na2CO3
Step 1: Find the molar mass of the compound

m𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠=𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑥𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠
 

Mass of Na = 2 moles Na x 23 g/mole = 46 g

Mass of C = 1 mole O x 12 g/mole =12 g Add

Mass of O = 3 mole O x 16 g/mole =48 g

Molar mass=106 g
Sample 1: Na2CO3

Get the percentage composition of

Step 2: each element
 
x100%

x100%
  = 43.4%

  100%
x100% = 11.3%

 
x100% = 45.3%
How to calculate
EMPIRICAL
FORMULA
How to Calculate Empirical Formula?
A compound contains 11.2% Hydrogen and 88.8%
Oxygen. What is its EMPIRICAL FORMULA?

Step 1: Assume that 100g of the compound is present. If there

is 100g of compound present, there will be 11.2 g of
hydrogen (11.2% of 100g) and also 88.8 g of oxygen
(88.8% of 100 g)
Given:
11.2 g of H

88.8 g of O
How to Calculate Empirical Formula?
Given: 11.2g of H, 88.8g of O

Step 2: Convert grams to mole

  1 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒
𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠=𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 ( 𝑔) 𝑥
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠( 𝑔)
H
 
= 11.2mol

 
O = 5.5mol
How to Calculate Empirical Formula?
Given: 11.2g of H, 88.8g of O
Find the empirical formula by dividing by the smaller
Step 3:
number of moles
  11 . 2 𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝐻= =2
5 .5 𝑚𝑜𝑙
  5 .5 𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝑂= =1
5 .5 𝑚𝑜𝑙
The ratio of 2 mol of Hydrogen to 1 mol of Oxygen
gives the empirical formula of H2O
Sample 1:
A blue solid is found to contain 36.84% Nitrogen and 63.16% oxygen.
Find the empirical formula for this solid.

Step 1:
Given:
36.84 g of N

63.16 g of O
Sample 1:
Given: 36.84 g N, 63.16 g O
Step 2: Convert grams to mole
  1 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒
𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠=𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 ( 𝑔) 𝑥
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠( 𝑔)
 
N
= 2.63 mol

O
 
= 3.94 mol
Sample 1:
Given: 36.84 g N, 63.16 g O
Find the empirical formula by dividing by the smaller
Step 3:
number of moles
 N
=1

 O
=1

The ratio of 1 mol of Nitrogen to 1 mol of Oxygen

gives the empirical formula of NO
How to calculate
MOLECULAR
FORMULA
How to Calculate Molecular Formula?
A compound contains 11.2% Hydrogen and 88.8%
Oxygen. If its molecular mass is 18, what is its
MOLECULAR FORMULA?
Step 1: To find the molecular formula divide the given molar
mass by the empirical formula molar mass
Molar mass H2O = 2g + 16g = 18 g/mol
divide
Molar mass of compound = 18 g/mol

=1
How to Calculate Molecular Formula?
A compound contains 11.2% Hydrogen and 88.8%
Oxygen. If its molecular mass is 18, what is its
MOLECULAR FORMULA?
Step 2: Multiply the subscripts of H2O by 1

Molecular Formula = H2O

Sample 1:
Ascorbic acid (C6H8o6) contains 40.92% C, 4.58% H and
54.50% O by mass. Its molecular mass is 176 g/mol.
What is the molecular formula of ascorbic acid?
Step 1: To find the molecular formula divide the given molar
mass by the empirical formula molar mass
C = 6 x 12 = 72 g

H=8x1=8g Add 1

O = 6 x 16 = 96 g
Molar mass=176 mol
How to Calculate Molecular Formula?
Ascorbic acid (C6H8o6) contains 40.92% C, 4.58% H and
54.50% O by mass. Its molecular mass is 176 g/mol.
What is the molecular formula of ascorbic acid?
Step 2: Multiply the subscripts of C6H8o6 by 1

Molecular Formula = C6H8o6