Nitrogen combines with oxygen to form a variety of compounds. One of these compounds is called nitrous oxide or "laughing gas." What is the formula of nitrous oxide if this compound is 63.65% N and 36.35%O by weight?

I got N2O

To determine the formula of nitrous oxide (N2O) based on the given percentage composition, you need to calculate the number of moles of each element and find the simplest whole-number ratio between them.

Step 1: Assume we have 100 grams of the compound.

Step 2: Calculate the mass of nitrogen and oxygen in the compound:

- Nitrogen (N): 63.65% of 100 grams = 63.65 grams
- Oxygen (O): 36.35% of 100 grams = 36.35 grams

Step 3: Convert the masses of nitrogen and oxygen to moles using their respective molar masses:

- Molar mass of nitrogen (N): 14.01 g/mol
- Molar mass of oxygen (O): 16.00 g/mol

- Moles of nitrogen (N): 63.65 grams / 14.01 g/mol ≈ 4.54 mol
- Moles of oxygen (O): 36.35 grams / 16.00 g/mol ≈ 2.27 mol

Step 4: Divide the moles of each element by the smaller number of moles to get the simplest whole-number ratio:

- Nitrogen (N): 4.54 mol / 2.27 mol = 2
- Oxygen (O): 2.27 mol / 2.27 mol = 1

Therefore, the formula of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is N2O, as you correctly determined.