Learning Activity Sheet 3

I. Give the molar masses of the following compounds

1. NH2CONH2 6. C3H8O
2. H2SO3 7. NaC2H3O2
3. Be(HCO3)2 8. Cr(PO4)2
4. Fe(NO3)3 9. NH4ClO4
5. C12H22O11 10. H2C2O4

How to calculate percent composition?

a. Determine the mass of individual components:

Example:
C12H22O11
C = 12 x 12 g = 144 g
H = 22 x 1 g = 22 g
O = 11 x 16 g = 176 g

b. Calculate the molar mass of the compound.

C12H22O11 144 g + 22 g + 176 g = 342 g

c. Divide mass of each component to the molar mass, then multiply the
quotient to 100.

% C = 144 g/342 g = 0.421 x 100 = 42.1%

% H = 22g/342 g = 0.064 x 100 = 6.4%

% O = 176 g/342 g = 0.515 x 100 = 51.5 %

II. Calculate the percent composition of the components in the compounds

given below.

1. C12H22O11 (Sucrose)
2. FeSO4 (Ferrous sulfate)
3. NH2CONH2 (Urea)
4. C3H8O (Isopropyl alcohol)
5. NaC2H3O2 (Sodium acetate)

V. Calculating empirical formula.

1. The percent composition of a sulfur oxide is 40.05 % S and 59.95 % O.

What is the empirical formula of the compound with this component?
2. Propane is hydrocarbon, a compound composed only of carbon and
hydrogen. It is 81.82% carbon and 18.18% hydrogen. What is the
empirical formula?
3. The chemical analysis of aspirin indicates that the molecule is 60.00%
carbon, 4.44% hydrogen, and 35.56% oxygen. Determine the empirical
formula for aspirin.
4. A compound is 24.7% Calcium, 1.2% Hydrogen, 14.8% Carbon, and 59.3%
Oxygen. Write the empirical formula and name the compound.
5. A compound is 21.20% Nitrogen, 6.06% Hydrogen, 24.30% Sulfur, and
48.45% Oxygen. Write the empirical formula and name the compound.
6. A compound is 52.0% Zinc, 9.6% Carbon, and 38.4% Oxygen. Calculate
the empirical formula of the compound.

VI. Molecular formula (source Chang pp.111-112)

1. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a food-flavor enhancer, has been blamed

for “Chinese restaurant syndrome,” the symptoms of which are headaches
and chest pains. MSG has the following composition by mass: 35.51
percent C, 4.77 percent H, 37.85 percent O, 8.29 percent N, and 13.60
percent Na. What is its molecular formula if its molar mass is about 169
g?

2. Allicin is the compound responsible for the characteristic smell of garlic.

An analysis of the compound gives the following percent composition by
mass: C: 44.4 percent; H: 6.21 percent; S: 39.5 percent; O: 9.86 percent.
Calculate its empirical formula. What is its molecular formula given that
its molar mass is about 162 g?

3. Peroxyacylnitrate (PAN) is one of the components of smog. It is a compound

of C, H, N, and O. Determine the percent composition of oxygen and the
empirical formula from the following percent composition by mass: 19.8
percent C, 2.50 percent H, 11.6 percent N. What is its molecular formula
given that its molar mass is about 120 g?

4. Analysis of a chemical used in photographic developing fluid indicates a

chemical composition of 65.45% C, 5.45%H, and 29.09% O. The molar
mass is found to be 110.0 g/mol. Determine the molecular formula.

5. A compound was found to contain 49.98 g carbon and 10.47 g hydrogen.

The molar mass of the compound is 58.12 g/mol. Determine the molecular
formula.