AP Chemistry- Combustion Analysis Q's

1. Cyclopropane, a substance used with oxygen as a general anesthetic, contains only carbon and
hydrogen. When 1.00 g of this gas is burned completely, 3.14 g of carbon dioxide and 1.29 g of water
vapor were produced. What is the empirical formula for cyclopropane?

2. In a laboratory, 1.55 mg of an organic compound containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen is burned
for analysis. This combustion resulted in the formation of 1.45 mg of carbon dioxide and 0.890 mg of
water. What is the empirical formula for this compound?

3. The characteristic odor of pineapple is due to ethyl butyrate, a compound composed of carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen. Combustion of 2.78 mg of ethyl butyrate leads to the formation of 6.32 mg of
carbon dioxide and 2.58 mg of water. The properties of this compound suggest that its molecular
weight should be between 100 and 150 g/mol. What are the empirical and molecular formulas for this
compound?
4. Consider the analysis of a 1.000g sample of ascorbic acid, Vitamin C (C xHyOz). Combustion of this
sample produces 1.500g of CO2 and 0.405g H2O. The molecular weight of ascorbic acid is 176 g/mol.
What is the molecular formula for ascorbic acid?

5. A sample consists wholly of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. When 5.676 g of this compound is burned,
17.536 g of carbon dioxide and 5.850g of water is obtained. In a separate experiment, the molar mass
of this compound is determined to be 385 g/mol. What is the empirical formula for this sample?

Answers: 1) CH2, 2) CH3O2, 3) C3H6O and C6H12O2, 4) C6H8O6, 5) C27H44O