Nicotine has a molar mass of 160 g / mol. If the percent composition is 74.0 % C, 8.70 % H, and

step 1 To determine the molecular formula, we must first determine the empirical formula. To get the em

Nicotine has a molar mass of 160 g / mol. If the percent...

Nicotine has a molar mass of $160 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{mol}$. If the percent composition is $74.0 \% \mathrm{C}, 8.70 \% \mathrm{H},$ and $17.3 \% \mathrm{~N},$ what is the molecular formula of nicotine?

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Key Concepts

Percent Composition

Percent composition refers to the percentage of each element present in a compound by mass. It is essential for determining the relative contribution of each element, which is used to compute the number of moles of each element present in a given mass of the compound.

Empirical Formula

The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms of each element in a compound, derived from the percent composition data. It serves as the foundational step in determining the molecular formula, and involves converting mass percentages into moles and then simplifying the resulting ratio.

Molecular Formula Determination

Determining the molecular formula involves comparing the molar mass of the empirical formula to the actual molar mass of the compound. This comparison reveals a multiplying factor that scales the empirical formula to give the exact number of atoms of each element in a molecule. This final step provides the precise molecular formula used to characterize the compound.

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