Ribose, the sugar found in RNA, has been detected in...

Ribose, the sugar found in RNA, has been detected in experiments designed to mimic the conditions of early Earth. If ribose contains $40.00 \% \mathrm{C}$ $6.71 \% \mathrm{H},$ and $53.28 \%$ O, with a molar mass of $150.13 \mathrm{g} / \mathrm{mol}$.What are the empirical and molecular formulas for ribose?

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Key Concepts

Percent Composition

Percent composition refers to the percentage by mass of each element in a compound. It is used to determine how much of each element is present in a given amount of the compound, serving as a starting point for calculating the number of moles of each constituent element.

Empirical Formula Determination

The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound. By using the percent composition data, the mass percentage of each element can be converted to moles (by dividing by the atomic mass), and then the smallest whole-number ratios of these mole quantities are determined to arrive at the empirical formula.

Molecular Formula Determination

The molecular formula reveals the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule. After obtaining the empirical formula, its molar mass is compared to the given molecular mass of the compound. The ratio of the compound's molecular mass to the empirical formula mass gives a multiplication factor that is used to scale up the subscripts in the empirical formula to obtain the molecular formula.

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