Calculate the empirical formula

Question

Calculate the empirical formula of the following compound containing 15.8% carbon and 84.2% sulfur

Answer 1

Step 1. Consider 100 grams of the compound. Divide this into the amount of carbon and sulfur based on the percentages.

 

step 2. Change the grams of carbon and sulfur to moles.         moles = grams / molar mass

 

Step 3. Express the ratio of the moles of carbon to the moles of sulfur, in simplest whole number form, m:n. These will be the subscripts in the empirical formula C_mS_n.