Section 9.

3—Analysis of a
Chemical Formula

How can we determine a chemical formula?

Percent Composition
What is Percent Composition?

Part
Percent  100
Whole

mass of element
Percent composition  100
mass of whole sample
Example #1

Example:
A 8.5 g sample is composed of carbon and
hydrogen. If 5.5 g of the sample is found to be
carbon, what is the percent composition by mass of
the sample?
Example #1

Example:
A 8.5 g sample is composed of carbon and
hydrogen. If 5.5 g of the sample is found to be
carbon, what is the percent composition by mass of
the sample?

If total = 8.5 g
and C = - 5.5 g
then H = 3.0 g

5.5 g 3.0 g
%C  100 %H  100
8.5 g 8.5 g

% C  65% % H  35%
Let’s Practice #1

A sample is 57.0% by mass chlorine, how many

grams of chlorine are present in a 27.5 g sample?
Let’s Practice #1

A sample is 57.0% by mass chlorine, how many

grams of chlorine are present in a 27.5 g sample?

27.5 g  ?g  27.5 g
57.0% Cl  100
100 27.5 g 100

27.5 g
 57.0% Cl  ? g
100

15.7 g Cl  ? g
Example #2
Percent composition can also be determined from a chemical formula

Example:
Find the percent
composition, by
mass, of CaCl2
Example #2
Percent composition can also be determined from a chemical formula

Example:
Find the percent Ca 1  40.08 g/mole = 40.08 g/mole
composition, by Cl 2  35.45 g/mole = + 70.90 g/mole
mass, of CaCl2 110.98 g/mole

So for 1 mole: total = 110.98 g

Ca = 40.08 g
Cl = 70.90 g

40.08 g 70.90 g
% Ca  100 % Cl  100
110.98 g 110.98 g

% Ca  36.11% % Cl  63.89%
Let’s Practice #2

Find the percent

composition, by
mass, of NaNO3
Let’s Practice #2

Na 1  22.99 g/mole = 22.99 g/mole

Find the percent N 1  14.01 g/mole = 14.01 g/mole
composition, by O 3  16.00 g/mole = + 48.00 g/mole
mass, of NaNO3 85.00 g/mole

22.99 g 14.01g
% Na  100 %N 100
85.00 g 85.00 g

% Na  27.05% % N  16.48%
48.00 g
%O 100
85.00 g

% O  56.47%
Empirical Formulas
What’s an Empirical Formula?

Empirical Formula –Lowest possible

ratio of atoms

CH2 is the lowest ratio (and empirical

formula) of the molecule C3H6
Ratio of Atoms in a Molecule
Subscripts in a If the subscripts
chemical give the ratio
formula show of atoms, then
the ratio of they also give
We can use the
atoms (or the ratio of
unit “mole” to
ions) in a moles of
count things
molecule atoms
Atoms and ions
a sample of a sample of
can be
CaCl2 has 1 CaCl2 has 1
counted by
calcium ion : 2 mole of
“moles”
chlorine ions calcium ions :
2 moles of
chlorine ions

# atoms A moles A

# atoms B moles B
Using Mole Ratio of Atoms in a Molecule

Therefore, if the ratio of moles of each

atom is found…

then the subscripts of the chemical

formula are known

1 mole C CH2
2 mole H
Example #3
1 If given percents, use those percents as grams (as if you assume
you have a 100 g sample)—Remember %’s add up to 100!
2 Change grams to moles for each atom

3 Divide all moles by the smallest # of moles. We do this to find the

lowest possible whole number ratios of the atoms
4 Use the ratio as subscripts for writing the chemical formula

Example:
Find the empirical formula if a sample contains Ca
and Cl and is 36.1% Ca
Example #3
1 If given percents, use those percents as grams (as if you assume
you have a 100 g sample)—Remember %’s add up to 100!
2 Change grams to moles for each atom

3 Find the lowest possible whole number ratio of the atom (divide all
moles by the smallest # of moles)
4 Use the ratio as subscripts for writing the chemical formula

Example:
Find the empirical formula if a sample contains Ca
and Cl and is 36.1% Ca
36.1 g Ca 1 mol Ca
0.901 mol Ca
= _____
40.08 g Ca
CaCl2
63.9 g Cl 1 mol Cl
1.80 mol Cl
= _____
35.45 g Cl

0.901 mol Ca = 1 mol Ca 1.80 mol Cl = 2 mol Cl

0.901 0.901
Let’s Practice #3
Find the empirical formula if a sample
contains
40.92 g C, 4.58 g H and 54.5 g O

40.92 g C 1 mol C
3.41 mol C
= _____
12.01 g C
4.58 g H 1 mol H
4.53 mol H
= _____
1.01 g H
54.5 g O 1 mol O
3.41 mol O
= _____
16.00 g O C3H4O3

3.41 mol C = 1 mol C 4.53 mol H = 1.33 mol H

3.41 3.41

3.41 mol O = 1 mol O Multiply the ratio (1 : 1.33 : 1) by 3

3.41 to make a whole number ratio
(3 : 4: 3)
Molecular Formulas
What’s a Molecular Formula?

Empirical Formula –Lowest possible

ratio of atoms

Molecular Formula – Actual ratio of

atoms in a molecule
Empirical versus Molecular Formula
The empirical formula is the lowest possible ratio.
The molecular formula is the actual ratio

A molecule with the Could have one of the

empirical formula: following molecular
formulas:

NO2 NO2, N2O4, N4O8…

CH2 CH2, C2H4, C4H8…

Example #4
1 Find the empirical formula, if not given

2 Find the molar mass of the empirical formula

3 Find the ratio of the molecular formula’s molar mass (must be

given to you) to the empirical formula’s molar mass
Multiply the empirical formula’s subscripts by the ratio found in
4
step 3.
Example:
Empirical formula = C3H4O3. The molecular
formula’s molar mass = 176.14 g/mole.
Find the molecular formula.
 Example #4
1 Find the empirical formula, if not given

2 Find the molar mass of the empirical formula

3 Find the ratio of the molecular formula’s molar mass (must be

given to you) to the empirical formula’s molar mass
Multiply the empirical formula’s subscripts by the ratio found in
4
step 3.
Example:
Empirical formula = C3H4O3. The molecular
formula’s molar mass = 176.14 g/mole.
Find the molecular formula. 176.14 g/mole = 2
88.07 g/mole
C 3  12.01 g/mole = 36.03 g/mole
H 4  1.01 g/mole = 4.04 g/mole C3H4O3  2
O 3  16.00 g/mole = + 48.00 g/mole
C6H8O6
88.07 g/mole
Hydrate Formulas
What’s a Hydrate?

Hydrate – Molecule that has water

physically attached to it
It’s not dissolved in water…hydrates can be
solid, liquid or gas! The Crystal would look
dry! The water is trapped within the crystal!

BaI2  2 H2O

This means there are 2 water molecules attached to each BaI2 molecules
Hydrate & anhydride

Hydrate = molecule with water molecules

physically attached
anhydride = molecule with water removed
The water can be removed by heating the
hydrate

Hydrate anhydride + water

heat

Finding the ratio of anhydride molecules to water molecules gives

you the hydrate formula
Example #5
Example:
What is the percent mass of water
on the following hydrate?
MgSO4•7H2O

Percent Mass of Water = The part of the mass that is water X 100
The Whole mass of the hydrate

= __7(H2O) x 100
MgSO4•7H2O

= 7(18) x 100
246.38

=51.2%