Quick chemistry Q...Working out Empirical Formulae.

DanTheMan · 3 Oct 2007 at 23:43

Ok, I know how to work out the empirical formulae if given a mass of elements within a compound (e.g 2g compound containing 1.5g of C and .5g of O) but I'm unsure how I'd work it out from given percentages such as 75% C and 25% O.

Anybody care to explain to a chemistry noob?

Tom0 · 3 Oct 2007 at 23:48

get your head in the textbooks, do your own blooming homework

rich_g85 · 3 Oct 2007 at 23:53

Does this have anything to do with molar mass? If so I'm stuck.

DanTheMan · 3 Oct 2007 at 23:57

Tom0 said:
get your head in the textbooks, do your own blooming homework

Can't find anywhere explaining how to work it out this way, we were only shown how to work it from from given masses, not from percentage and there's a few questions on a homework sheet asking for it to be worked out from percentages which obviously I don't know how to do. My logic is failing me too.

It's not as though I'm asking for answers

just seeing if anybody knows the method for working them out.

Tefal · 4 Oct 2007 at 00:02

If the percentages add up to 100 then you can use the % as the mass and just divide by the MR etc.

DanTheMan · 4 Oct 2007 at 00:03

Tefal said:
If the percentages add up to 100 then you can use the % as the mass and just divide by the MR etc.

See noe I thought that was too obvious, guess not. Cheers

.

Tefal · 4 Oct 2007 at 00:15

You in uni yet dan? If its your first year in man uni I'm in there too

Dave · 4 Oct 2007 at 00:47

If he is, I hope he's not studying Chemistry / Chemical Engineering