Vitamin C contains 40.90% carbon, 4.58% hydrogen, and 54.52% oxygen by mass. Determine the empirical formula of vitamin C.

Question

Vitamin C contains 40.90% carbon, 4.58% hydrogen, and 54.52% oxygen by mass. Determine the empirical formula of vitamin C. 

C₂H₃O₂

C₃H₅O₃

C₆H₈O₆

C₃H₄O₃

Answer 1

40.9 g C * 1 mol C/12 g C = 3.4 mol C

4.58 g H * 1mol H/1.01 g H = 4.53 mol H

54.52 g O * 1 mol O/16 g O = 3.4 mol O

so we see the ratio of Carbon and Oxygen are the same. Now we need to determine ratio with Hydrogen.

4.53/3.4 = 1.33 so there are 1.33 molecules of H for every C and O which gives us CH1.33O but we need whole numbers so multiply everything by 3 getting C3H4O3 for empirical formula