CHAPTER 5

QUANTITATIVE COMPOSITION OF COMPOUNDS

General Objectives:
After the study of this chapter, the students should be able to:
1. Acquire knowledge regarding atomic weight, molecular weights; formula weights,
gram molecular weight, gram atomic weights;
2. Calculate molecular weights of compounds or formula weights;
3. Explain the meaning of mole
4. Solve problems involving moles, molecules or formula units
5. Calculate percentage composition of compounds
6. Determine empirical formula and molecular formula of compounds

5.1. ATOMIC WEIGHTS/ GRAM ATOMIC WEIGHTS

In dealing with very small weights of atom, it is necessary to introduce a new unit of
mass, which is called atomic mass unit. It is designated by the symbol a.m.u.. Atomic mass
unit is defined as 1/12 the weight of one atom of the most abundant isotopes of carbon,
assigned a weight of 12 amu. Carbon is adopted as the new standard for atomic weights.
Carbon atom is an arbitrary standard, but provides a basis of expressing weights of other
atoms.
Atomic weights maybe defined as a number that express the relative weight of an
atom compounds to the standard atom which is carbon.
Units of weight assigned to atomic weight are also arbitrary. If the atomic weight is
express in gram, it is called gram-atomic weight. Therefore, gram-atomic weight is atomic
weight expressed in grams.

5.2. MOLECULAR WEIGHT (FORMULA WEIGHT)

The smallest particle of a compound that can exist is termed a molecule. A molecule
is formed by the union of two or more atoms of the elements of which the compounds is
composed. The weight of a molecule or molecular weight is the sum of the atomic weight of
its constituent atoms.
 Molecular weight like an atomic weight is regarded as a relative weight. The
molecular weight is the weight of a molecule of compounds compared with the weight of one
atom of carbon. Thus, one molecule of water is as heavy as one atom of carbon.
Molecular weight expressed in gram is called gram-molecular weight.

5.3. PERCENT COMPOSITION OF COMPOUNDS

Percent is defined as parts per hundred. Any type of mass unit can be used to
calculate percent composition of compound its either relative units such as atomic mass unit
(amu) or unit such as grams. In either case we can calculate the percent composition of
compounds.

𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕

% 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 = 𝒙𝟏𝟎𝟎%
𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕

5.4. MOLE (MOL)

A mole is defined as the amount of substance that contains as many elemental

entities as there are number of atoms in exactly 12 grams of carbon 12. The number of atoms
has been determined experimentally to be equal to 6.02 x 10 23, and known as Avogadro ’s
number. The term is given in honor of Amadeo Avogadro an Italian Physicist (1776-1856),
who formulated the hypothesis.
A mole of an element has a weight in grams equal to the atomic weight of the
element and contains Avogadro’s number of atoms.

5.5. EMPIRICAL & MOLECULAR FORMULA

Empirical Formula or simplest formula gives the smallest whole number ratio of
atoms that make up the compound. It can be determined from the percent composition of the
compound or from experimentally determined the mass relationship of the elements that
make up the compounds.
Molecular formula is the true formula ad shows the actual number of atoms of
each element present in one molecule of the compound.
To calculate the empirical formula of a compound:
1. If the composition is given in percentage, consider a total of 100 g and determine the
relative number of grams of each element.
2. Divide this number of each element by the respective atomic weights of the elements
3. Choose the smallest quotient obtained in step 2. Divide each quotient by this
quotient.
4. The number obtained becomes the subscript of the elements.
5. In case whole number is not obtained multiply by whatever number to get a whole
number.
6. Write the empirical formula of the compound.

To calculate the molecular formula, the molecular weight of the compound is

needed.
1. Determine the empirical formula
2. Add all the relative masses of the atom in an empirical formula
3. Divide this number into molecular weight to obtain the multiple.
4. Multiply the number of atoms of each element in the empirical formula by this
multiple and write the molecular formula of the compound.