The major air pollutant of coal-burning power plants is a colorless, pungent gaseous compound containing only sulfur and oxygen. Chemical analysis of a 1.078g sample of this gas showed that it contained 0.540g of S and 0.538g of O. What is the empirical formula of this compound?
To find the empirical formula, we first need to determine the moles of each element present in the compound.
1. Calculate the molar mass of sulfur (S):
S = 32.06 g/mol
2. Calculate the moles of sulfur present:
moles of S = 0.540g / 32.06 g/mol = 0.0168 mol
3. Calculate the molar mass of oxygen (O):
O = 16.00 g/mol
4. Calculate the moles of oxygen present:
moles of O = 0.538g / 16.00 g/mol = 0.0336 mol
5. Determine the ratio of moles of each element present:
S: 0.0168 mol / 0.0168 = 1
O: 0.0336 mol / 0.0168 = 2
6. Write the empirical formula using the whole number ratio of moles as subscripts:
The empirical formula of the compound is SO2.