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The balanced equation for the combustion of a compound that contains only carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen is:
The mass of each element in the sample can be calculated by using the molar masses
and mole ratios of carbon dioxide and water. The molar masses of CO2, H2O, C, H,
and O are 44 g/mol, 18 g/mol, 12 g/mol, 1 g/mol, and 16 g/mol, respectively.
The mass of carbon in the sample is equal to the mass of carbon in CO2. Since one
mole of CO2 contains one mole of C, we can use the molar mass ratio to find the
mass of C:
The mass of hydrogen in the sample is equal to the mass of hydrogen in H2O. Since
one mole of H2O contains two moles of H, we can use the molar mass ratio to find
the mass of H:
The mass of oxygen in the sample is equal to the difference between the total mass
and the masses of carbon and hydrogen:
**C: 0.0620 g
H: 0.0103 g
O: 0.0277 g**