A 12.19g Sample of a Compound: Calculate the Empirical Formula
Explanation:
To calculate the empirical formula of a compound, we need to determine the ratio of the elements present in the compound. In this case, we have 3.89g of potassium (K) and 3.53g of chlorine (Cl).
To find the mass of oxygen, we subtract the mass of potassium and chlorine from the total mass of the compound: 12.19g - (3.89g + 3.53g) = 4.77g.
Now we can calculate the mole ratio by dividing the number of moles of each element by the smallest number of moles. The mole ratio for potassium is 3.89g / 39.10 g/mol = 0.0994 mol, for chlorine it is 3.53g / 35.45 g/mol = 0.0996 mol, and for oxygen it is 4.77g / 16.00 g/mol = 0.2981 mol.
Dividing each of these values by the smallest value (0.0994 mol), we get a mole ratio of approximately 1 for potassium, 1 for chlorine, and 3 for oxygen. Therefore, the empirical formula of the compound is KClO3.