Combustion Analysis

David Du
BIALIGY.com

October 2020

§1 Introduction
If we have a molecule Ca Hb or Ca Hb Oc we can determine the empirical formula for such compounds using
a process called combustion analysis.

§2 Combustion Analysis Procedure

If we burn a compound that is a hydrocarbon or Ca Hb Oc , the only products of the reaction will be carbon
dioxide and water. The procedure for doing combustion analysis is to put the compound in a tube, burn
it, and let the gas through two tubes, one that absorbs water and one that absorbs carbon dioxide and
see how their weight changes, and calculate the resulting formula for the original compound.

§3 Combustion Analysis
Let’s look at an example

Example §3.0.1

After combustion with excess oxygen, a 12.501 g of a petroleum compound produced 38.196 g of
carbon dioxide and 18.752 of water. A previous analysis determined that the compound does not
contain oxygen. Establish the empirical formula of the compound.

This is very similar to percent mass calculations. First we find the mols of each of the compounds.
1 mol CO2 1 mol C
38.196 g CO2 × × = 0.86787 mol C
44.01 g CO2 1 mol CO2
1 mol H2 O 2 mol H
18.752 g H2 O × × = 1.0817 mol H
18.016g g H2 O 1 mol H2 O
We don’t need to worry about oxygen because it is not included in the molecule. So we divide by the
lowest molar number and we get 1 mol C and 2.3996 mol H. Multilying by 5 we get

1 mol C × 5 = 1 mol C
2.3996 mol H × 5 ≈ 11.998 mol H ≈ 12 mol H

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Combustion Analysis BIALIGY.COM David Du

So our empircal formula is C5 H12

Let’s look at another example, this time also containing oxygen.

Example §3.0.2

12.915 g of a substance containing only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen was burned in an atmosphere
of excess oxygen. Subsequent analysis of the gaseous result yielded 18.942 g carbon dioxide and
7.749 g of water. Determine the empirical formula of the substance.

Again we do the same thing

1 mol CO2 1 mol C
18.942 g CO2 × × = 0.43039 mol C
44.01 g CO2 1 mol CO2
1 mol H2 O 2 mol H
7.749 g H2 O × × = .8600 mol H
18.016g g H2 O 1 mol H2 O
But how do we find O? If we know how much grams of C and H are in the substance, the rest must be
oxygen right

12.011 g C
0.43039 mol C × = 5.1694 g C
1 mol C
1.016 g H
0.8600 mol H × = 0.8669 g H
1 mol H2 O
grams of O = 12.915 g − 5.1694 g C − 0.8669 g H = 6.879 g O
Next we find the mols of everything
1 mol O
mol O = 6.879 g O × = 0.4299 mol O
16.00 g O
mol H = .8600 mol H
mol C = 0.43039 mol C

Dividing everything by .4299 mol of O we get approximately

1 mol O
2 mol H
1 mol C

So our empirical formula is CH2 O