Determining the Empirical Formula of a Gas Leak in an Apartment Building

How can I determine the empirical formula for a gas leak based on the given data? The empirical formula for a substance is the simplest whole number ratio of atoms present in a compound. To determine the empirical formula of a gas leak in an apartment building, you need to follow these steps: 1. Identify the elements present in the sample: In this case, the sample contains 1.54 grams of nitrogen (N) and 0.277 grams of hydrogen (H). 2. Calculate the moles of each element: To find the moles of each element, divide the given mass by the molar mass of the element. The molar mass of nitrogen is approximately 14 g/mol and hydrogen is approximately 1 g/mol. Moles of nitrogen (N) = 1.54 g / 14 g/mol ≈ 0.11 mol Moles of hydrogen (H) = 0.277 g / 1 g/mol = 0.277 mol 3. Determine the mole ratio: Divide the moles of each element by the smallest number of moles calculated in step 2. Moles of nitrogen (N) / 0.11 = 1 Moles of hydrogen (H) / 0.11 ≈ 3 4. Write the empirical formula: Based on the mole ratio obtained, the empirical formula for the gas leak is NH₃. Therefore, by following these steps, you can determine the empirical formula of a gas leak based on the given data.

Understanding Empirical Formula

Empirical Formula: The empirical formula of a compound represents the simplest whole number ratio of atoms in the compound. It does not provide the actual number of atoms present, but rather the ratio in which they combine.

Calculating Empirical Formula: To calculate the empirical formula of a compound, you need to know the mass or percentage composition of each element present in the compound. Once you have this information, you can determine the ratio of the elements and write the empirical formula.

Example Calculation: In the case of the gas leak in the apartment building, we were given the masses of nitrogen and hydrogen. By converting these masses to moles and comparing the mole ratios, we determined that the empirical formula of the gas leak is NH₃.

Significance of Empirical Formula: The empirical formula provides important information about the composition of a compound. It helps in determining the fundamental building blocks of the compound and can be used to predict its properties and behavior.

Further Analysis: In some cases, the empirical formula may not match the molecular formula of a compound. Additional analytical techniques such as molecular mass determination are required to derive the molecular formula from the empirical formula.

Conclusion: Understanding how to determine the empirical formula of a compound is essential in chemistry. By following the steps outlined above, you can accurately determine the simplest ratio of elements in a compound based on experimental data.

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