Monosodium glutamate

Question

Monosodium glutamate, known as MSG, is sometimes added to food to enhance flavor. Analysis determined this compound to be 35.5% C, 4.77% H, 8.29% N, 13.6% Na, and 37.9% O. What is its empirical formula?

Answer 1

Answer 2

To find the empirical formula, you can turn the percentages of each compound into grams just by moving the decimal two places to the left:

35.5% C = .355g C

4.77% H = .0477g H

8.29% N = .0829g N

13.6% Na = .136g Na

37.9% O = .379g O

Now that you have masses for each of the atoms, you can convert them into mols by dividing each number of grams by its respective atom's mass. For example:

.355g C x (1 mol C ÷ 12.01g C) = 0.0295587...mols C

Complete this same process for H, N, Na, and O.

Now that you have found the number of mols of each atom, find the number that is the lowest of the whole bunch. Divide each of your answers by that smallest answer. (So when you divide the smallest answer by the smallest answer, you get 1). These new numbers are your subscripts for your MSG compound. If you get a non-whole number (fraction or decimal), multiply by the lowest number possible that ensures all the numbers are whole.

For example, if you get subscripts of 1, 2, and 3.5 multiply by 2. This gives you 2, 4, and 7. Now you have whole numbers!

Write the equation for MSG with your new subscripts. Your answer will be structured like this: C_xH_xN_xO_xNa_x

Does this make sense?