Samples of several compounds are decomposed, and the masses...

Samples of several compounds are decomposed, and the masses of their constituent elements are listed here. Calculate the empirical formula for each compound. a. $1.245 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{Ni}, 5.381 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{I}$ b. $2.677 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{Ba}, 3.115 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{Br}$ c. $2.128 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{Be}, 7.557 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{~S}, 15.107 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{O}$

Samples of several compounds are decomposed, and the masses of their constituent elements are listed here. Calculate the empirical formula for each compound.
a. $1.245 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{Ni}, 5.381 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{I}$
b. $2.677 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{Ba}, 3.115 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{Br}$
c. $2.128 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{Be}, 7.557 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{~S}, 15.107 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{O}$

Key Concepts

Empirical Formula

The empirical formula of a compound is the simplest whole-number ratio of the atoms of each element present in the compound. It is determined by converting the mass of each element to moles, then finding the simplest ratio of these moles, and expressing the result as a chemical formula.

Mole Concept

The mole concept is a fundamental principle in chemistry that relates the mass of a substance to the number of particles it contains. This conversion, using atomic or molecular masses, is crucial for quantifying reactants and products and for determining the ratios of elements in compounds.

Mass-to-Mole Conversion

Mass-to-mole conversion involves dividing the mass of an element by its atomic mass to obtain the number of moles. This step is essential for comparing the quantities of different elements on the same scale, which is necessary for determining the empirical formula.

Ratio Determination

Once the moles of each element in a compound are calculated, the next step is to find the simplest ratio among them. This is typically done by dividing each mole value by the smallest of the calculated mole values, resulting in a ratio that reveals the relative quantities of atoms.

Simplification to Whole Numbers

The final step in deriving an empirical formula is to convert the ratio of moles to the smallest set of whole numbers. This may involve multiplying the ratios by a common factor if any of the values are fractional, ensuring the formula accurately represents the discrete number of atoms in the compound.

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