CHEM 11 (IB) Molecular Formulas &

% Composition Worksheet

1. What information must be obtained to get a molecular formulas from an empirical formula?

2. Calculate the percentage composition of each of these compounds:

a. C2H6 c. (NH4)3PO4
b. CaCO3 d. C17H15N3O2Cl

3. Calculate the percentage of the bold portion in each of these compounds:

a. NiSO4*7H2O c. Cr(NH3)6Cl3*H2O
b. Al2(SO4)3*18H2O d. Cu(C2H3O2)2*2NH3

4. Potassium persulfate is used in photography to remove the last traces of hypo from photographic
papers and plates. A 0.8162 sample was found to contain 0.2361 g of potassium, 0.1936 g of sulfur,
the rest was oxygen. The molar mass of this compound was measured to be 270.0 g. What are the
empirical and molecular formulas of potassium persulfate? (Arrange the atomic symbols in the
formulas in the order of KSO).

5. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an important substance in all living cells. A sample with a mass of
0.8138 g was analyzed and found to contain 0.1927 g of carbon, 0.02590g hydrogen, 0.1124 g of
nitrogen, and 0.1491 g of phosphorus. The remainder was oxygen. Its molar mass was determined to
be 507 g. Calculate the empirical and molecular formulas of adenosine triphosphate. (Arrange the
atomic symbols in their alphabetical order in the formulas).

6. One compound of mercury with a molar mass of 519 g contains 77.26% Hg, 9.25% C, 1.17% H, and
the remainder is oxygen. Calculate its empirical and molecular formulas.

7. One of the most deadly poisons, strychnine, has a molar mass of 334 g and the following percentage
composition 75.42% C, 6.63% H, 8.38% N, and the rest is oxygen. Calculate the empirical and
molecular formulas of strychnine.

8. 1.05g sample of a compound containing only carbon hydrogen and nitrogen is burned in oxygen to
form 2.92g of CO2 and 0.581 g of H2O. The molecular weight of the compound is found to be 238.
Find the molecular formula of the compound.

9. A compound contains C, H, N, S and O. A 7.58g sample was burned to produce 8.10 g of CO 2,

1.99g of H2O and 1.03g of N2. A separate sample having a mass of 7.58g was treated in such a way
that all the S present was converted to BaSO4(s). The resulting BaSO4 had a mass of 17.21g. A third
measurement indicated a molar mass somewhere between 200g and 260g. What is the molecular
formula of the compound?

10. The following data were obtained from experiments to find the molecular formula of benzocaine, a
local anesthetic, which contains only carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. Complete combustion
of a 3.54g sample of benocaine with oxygen formed 8.49g of CO 2 and 2.14g of H2O. Another
sample of mass 2.35g was found to contain 0.199 g of N. The molecular weight of benzocaine was
found to be 165. Find the molecular formula of benzocaine.

Oct-23
CHEM 11 (IB) Molecular Formulas &
% Composition Worksheet

1. What information must be obtained to get a molecular formulas from an empirical formula?
* The molecular/molar mass of the compound is needed to obtain the molecular formula.

2. Calculate the percentage composition of each of these compounds:

a. C2H6 (79.85% C & 20.15% H)
b. CaCO3 (40.04% Ca, 12.00% C & 47.96 % O)
c. (NH4)3PO4 (28.19% N, 8.13% H, 20.77% P & 42.91% O)
d. C17H15N3O2Cl (62.10% C, 4.61% H, 12.78% N, 9.73% O, 10.78% Cl)

3. Calculate the percentage of the bold portion in each of these compounds:

a. NiSO4*7H2O 44.90% H2O
b. Al2(SO4)3*18H2O 48.67% H2O
c. Cr(NH3)6Cl3*H2O 36.70% NH3
d. Cu(C2H3O2)2*2NH3 54.74% C2H3O2

4. Potassium persulfate is used in photography to remove the last traces of hypo from photographic
papers and plates. A 0.8162 sample was found to contain 0.2361 g of potassium, 0.1936 g of sulfur,
the rest was oxygen. The molar mass of this compound was measured to be 270.0 g. What are the
empirical and molecular formulas of potassium persulfate? (Arrange the atomic symbols in the
formulas in the order of KSO).
mass of O  0.8162  (0.2361  0.1936)  0.3865 g O
 mol K 
mol K  (0.2361 g K)   0.006038 mol K
 39.10 g K 
 mol S 
mol S  (0.1936 g S)   0.006039 mol S
 32.06 g S 
 mol O 
mol O  0.3865g O    0.02416 mol O
 16.00 g O 
 0.006038   0.006039   0.02416 
K S O   K 1.000S1.000O 4.001  K 1S1O4
 0.006038   0.006038   0.006038 
mass of KSO 4  135.16 g
molecular mass 270.0
  1.998
empirical mass 135.16
molecular formula  KSO 4   2  K 2S 2O8

Oct-23
5. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an important substance in all living cells. A sample with a mass of
0.8138 g was analyzed and found to contain 0.1927 g of carbon, 0.02590 g hydrogen, 0.1124 g of
nitrogen, and 0.1491 g of phosphorus. The remainder was oxygen. Its molar mass was determined to
be 507 g. Calculate the empirical and molecular formulas of adenosine triphosphate. (Arrange the
atomic symbols in their alphabetical order in the formulas).
mass of O  0.8138g  (0.1927g  0.02590g  0.1124g  0.1491g)  0.3337 g O
 mol C 
mol C  0.1927g C    0.01604 mol C
 12.01 g C 
 mol H 
mol H  0.02590g H    0.0256 mol H
 1.01 g H 
 mol N 
mol N  0.1124g N    0.008023 mol N
 14.01 g N 
 mol P 
mol P  0.1491g P    0.004814 mol P
 30.97g P 
 mol O 
mol O  0.3337g O    0.02086 mol O
 16.00g O 
 0.01604   0.0256   0.008023   0.004814   0.02086 
C H  N  P  O   3  (C 3.332 H 5.32 N 1.667 P1.000 O 4.332 )
 0.004814   0.004814   0.004814   0.004814   0.004814 
C 9.996 H 16.0 N 5.001 P3.000 O 13.00  C 10 H 16 N 5 P3 O 13
molecular mass 507
  1.00
empirical mass 507.22
molecular formula  C10 H 16 N 5 P3 O 13
6. One compound of mercury with a molar mass of 519 g contains 77.26% Hg, 9.25% C, 1.17% H, and
the remainder is oxygen. Calculate its empirical and molecular formulas.
 mol Hg 
(77.26g Hg)   0.3852 mol Hg
 200.59g Hg 
 mol C 
9.25 g C   0.7702 mol C
 12.01g C 
 mol H 
1.17g H    1.16 mol H
 1.01 g H 

12.32g O  mol O 

  0.7700 mol O
 16.00g O 
 0.3852   0.7702   1.16   0.7700 
Hg C H  O   Hg1.000C1.999 H 3.01O1.999  Hg1C2 H 3O 2
 0.3852   0.3852   0.3852   0.3852 
molecular mass 519
  2.00; molecular formula  Hg 2C4 H 6O4
empirical mass 259.64

Oct-23
7. One of the most deadly poisons, strychnine, has a molar mass of 334 g and the following percentage
composition 75.42% C, 6.63% H, 8.38% N, and the rest is oxygen. Calculate the empirical and
molecular formulas of strychnine.
 75.42g C (mol C/12.01 g C) = 6.280 mol C
 6.63g H (mol H/1.01 g H) = 6.56 mol H
 8.38g N (mol N/14.01 g N) = 0.598 mol N
 9.57 g O (mol O/16.00 g O) = 0.598 mol O
 C10.50H11.0N1.00O1.00 = C21H22N2O2
 Molecular mass/empirical mass = 334/334.45=0.999
 Molecular formula = C21H22N2O2

8. 1.05g sample of a compound containing only carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen is burned in oxygen to
form 2.92g of CO2 and 0.581 g of H2O. The molecular weight of the compound is found to be 238.
Find the molecular formula of the compound.

 mol CO 2  mol C   12.01g C 

2.92g CO 2     0.066348...mol C   0.797g C
 44.01g CO 2  mol CO 2   mol C 
 mol H 2O  2 mol H   1.01g H 
0.581g H 2O     0.065583...molH    0.0651 g H
 18.02g H 2O  mol H 2O   mol H 
 mol N 
mol of N  1.05g  0.797g  0.0651g    0.0134 mol N
 14.01g N 
 0.0664   0.0656   0.0134 
C H   N   C4.96 H 4.90 N1.00  C5 H 5 N1
 0.0134   0.0134   0.0134 
molecular mass 238
  3.01; molecular formula  C15 H15 N 3
empirical mass 79.11

Oct-23
9. A compound contains C, H, N, S and O. A 7.58g sample was burned to produce 8.10 g of CO 2,
1.99g of H2O and 1.03g of N2. A separate sample having a mass of 7.58g was treated in such a way
that all the S present was converted to BaSO4(s). The resulting BaSO4 had a mass of 17.21g. A third
measurement indicated a molar mass somewhere between 200g and 260g. What is the molecular
formula of the compound?
    
8.10g CO 2  mol CO 2  mol C   0.1840...mol C 12.01g C   2.21g C
 44.01g CO 2  mol CO 2   mol C 
 mol H 2 O  2 mol H   1.01g H 
1.99g H 2O     0.2209...molH   0.223 g H
 18.02g H 2 O  mol H 2 O   mol H 
 mol N 2  2 mol N   14.01g N 
1.03g N 2     0.073518... mol N   1.03g N
 28.02g N 2  mol N 2   mol N 
 mol BaSO 4  mol S   32.06g S 
17.21g BaSO 4     0.073736.. mol S   2.36g S
 233.40g BaSO 4  mol BaSO 4   mol S 
 mol O 
mol O  7.58g  2.21g  0.223g  1.03g  2.36g    0.110 mol O
 16.00g O 
 0.184   0.221   0.0735   0.07374   0.110 
C H   N S O   C 2.50 H 3.01 N 1.00 S1.00 O 1.49  C 5 H 6 N 2S 2 O 3
 0.0735   0.0735   0.0735   0.0735   0.0735 
molecular mass 200 260
  0.97;  1.26; molecular formula  C 5 H 6 N 2 S 2 O 3
empirical mass 206.25 206.25

10. The following data were obtained from experiments to find the molecular formula of benzocaine, a
local anesthetic, which contains only carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. Complete combustion
of a 3.54g sample of benocaine with oxygen formed 8.49g of CO 2 and 2.14g of H2O. Another
sample of mass 2.35g was found to contain 0.199 g of N. The molecular weight of benzocaine was
found to be 165. Find the molecular formula of benzocaine.

 mol CO 2  mol C   12.01g C 

8.49g CO 2     0.19291...mol C   2.32g C
 44.01g CO 2  mol CO 2   mol C 
 mol H 2 O  2 mol H   1.01g H 
2.14g H 2O     0.2375...molH   0.240 g H
 18.02g H 2 O  mol H 2 O   mol H 
 0.199g N   mol N 
3.54g Sample    0.29977... g N   0.0214 mol N
 2.35 g Sample   14.01g N 
 mol O 
mol O  3.54g  2.32g  0.240g  0.300g    0.0427 mol O
 16.00g O 
 0.193   0.238   0.0214   0.0427 
C H   N O   C 9.02 H 11.1 N 1.00 O 2.00  C 9 H 11 N 1O 2
 0.0214   0.0214   0.0214   0.0214 
molecular mass 165
  1.00; molecular formula  C 9 H 11 N 1O 2
empirical mass 165.21

Oct-23