What is the empirical formula for the following situation?

Question

flourine is so reactive that it forma compounds with materials inert to other treatments. when 0.158g of platinium is heated in fluorine, 0.125 g of a dark red, volatile solid forms. what is its empirical formula?

Answer 1

An empirical formula is the simplest whole number ratio of moles of the elements in the compound.

1. Use each element's molar mass to convert the grams of each element to moles.
2. In order to find a whole-number ratio, divide the moles of each element by whichever of the moles from step 2 is the smallest.
3. If all the moles at this point are whole numbers (or very close), the empirical formula can be written with the moles as the subscript of each element.
4. In some cases, one or more of the moles calculated in step 3 will not be whole numbers. Multiply each of the moles by the smallest whole number that will convert each into a whole number. Write the empirical formula.