A 60g sample of tetraethyl lead, a gasoline additive, is found to contain 38.43g lead, 17.83g carbon and 3.74g hydrogen. Determine the compounds empirical formula.

Empirical formula (which matches the molecular formula) is = PbC₈H₂₀

Explanation:

Our sample: 60 g of tetraethyl lead

In order to determine the compound empirical formula we need the centesimal composition:

(Mass of element / Total mass) . 100 =

(38.43 g lead / 60g ) . 100 = 64.05%

(17.83 g C / 60g) . 100 = 29.72%

(3.74 g H / 60g) . 100 = 6.23 %

These % are the mass of the elements in 100 g of compound. Let's find out the moles of them:

64.05 g / 207.2 g/mol = 0.309 moles

29.72 g / 12 g/mol = 2.48 moles

6.23 g/ 1 g/mol = 6.23 moles

Next, we divide the moles, by the lowest value of them (0.309)

0.309 / 0.309 = 1 mol Pb

2.48 / 0.309 = 8 mol C

6.23 / 0.309 = 20 mol H

There, we have our formula PbC₈H₂₀

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