What is the empirical formula of a compound that contains 10.52 grams of nickel, 4.38 grams of carbon, 5.10 grams of nitrogen?

Question

An empirical formula shows the smallest whole-number ratio of different atoms in a chemical substance. However, the simplest ratio does not always indicate the actual ratio in the chemical substance. Molecular formulas specify the actual number of atoms of each element in one molecule or formula unit of the chemical substance. The molecular formula is a whole-number multiple of the empirical formula.

Answer 1

Empirical formula = formula with the lowest whole number of moles of each element

Moles Ni = 10.52 g Ni x 1 mol Ni / 58.7 g = 0.179 mol Ni

Moles C = 4.38 g C x 1 mol C / 12 g = 0.365 mol C

Moles N = 5.10 g N x 1 mol N / 14 g = 0.364 mol N

Divide all by 0.179 to get whole numbers...

1 mol Ni

2 mol C

2 mol N

Empirical formual = C₂N₂Ni