Chapter 7 Chemical

Quantities
7.4
Percent Composition and
Empirical Formulas

The label on a bag of fertilizer states the

percentages of N, P, and K.

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 Percent Composition
Percent composition
• is the percent by mass of each element in a
formula.
Example: Calculate the percent composition of CO2.
CO2 = 1C(12.01g) + 2O(16.00 g) = 44.01 g/mol

12.01 g C x 100 = 27.29% C

44.01 g CO2

32.00 g O x 100 = 72.71% O

44.01 g CO2 100.00 %
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Calculating Percent
Composition

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Learning Check
What is the percent composition of lactic acid,
C3H6O3, a compound that appears in the blood
after vigorous activity?

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 Solution
STEP 1 Determine the total mass of each
element in the molar mass of a formula.

3C(12.01) = 36.03 g of C
+ 6H(1.008) = 6.048 g of H
+ 3O(16.00) = 48.00 g of O
= 90.08 g/mol

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Solution (continued)
STEP 2 Divide the total mass of each element by
the molar mass and multiply by 100%.

%C = 36.03 g C x 100 = 40.00% C

90.08 g

%H = 6.048 g H x 100 = 6.714% H

90.08 g

%O = 48.00 g O x 100 = 53.29% O

90.08 g
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Learning Check
The chemical isoamyl
acetate C7H14O2 gives
the odor of pears. What
is the percent of carbon
in isoamyl acetate?
1) 7.102 %C
2) 35.51 %C
3) 64.58 %C

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Solution
STEP 1 Determine the total mass of each
element in the molar mass of a formula.
7C(12.01) = 84.07 g of C
+ 14H(1.008) = 14.11 g of H
+ 2O(16.00) = 32.00 g of O
Molar mass = 130.18 g/mol

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Solution (continued)
STEP 2 Divide the total mass of each element by
the molar mass and multiply by 100%.
%C = total g C x 100%
molar mass
%C = 84.07 g C x 100% = 64.58 %C
130.18 g

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 Empirical Formulas
The empirical formula
• is the simplest whole number ratio of the atoms
• is calculated by dividing the subscripts in the
actual (molecular) formula by a whole number
to give the lowest ratio
C5H10O5  5 = C1H2O1 = CH2O
actual (molecular) empirical formula
formula

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 Some Molecular and Empirical
Formulas
• The molecular formula is the same or a multiple of
the empirical.

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Learning Check
A. What is the empirical formula for C4H8?
1) C2H4 2) CH2 3) CH

B. What is the empirical formula for C8H14?

1) C4H7 2) C6H12 3) C8H14

C. Which is a possible molecular formula for CH2O?

1) C4H4O4 2) C2H4O2 3) C3H6O3

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Solution

A. What is the empirical formula for C4H8?

2) CH2 C4H8  4

B. What is the empirical formula for C8H14?

1) C4H7 C8H14  2

C. Which is a possible molecular formula for CH2O?

2) C2H4O2 3) C3H6O3

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Learning Check
A compound has an empirical formula SN. If
there are four atoms of N in one molecule, what
is the molecular formula? Explain.
1) SN
2) SN4
3) S4N4

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Solution
A compound has an empirical formula SN. If
there are four atoms of N in one molecule,
what is the molecular formula? Explain.
3) S4N4

In this molecular formula four atoms of N and

four atoms of S and N are related 1:1. Thus, it
has an empirical formula of SN.

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Calculating Empirical Formulas

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Learning Check

A compound contains 7.31 g Ni and 20.0 g Br.

Calculate its empirical (simplest) formula.

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Solution
STEP 1 Determine the moles of each element.
7.31 g Ni x 1 mol Ni = 0.125 mol of Ni
58.69 g Ni
20.0 g Br x 1 mol Br = 0.250 mol of Br
79.90 g Br
STEP 2 Divide by the smallest number of moles.
0.125 mol Ni = 1 mol of Ni
0.125
0.250 mol Br = 2 mol of Br
0.125

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Solution (continued)
STEP 3 Use the lowest whole-number ratio of
moles as subscripts.
NiBr2

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 Converting Decimals to Whole
Numbers
When the number of moles for an element is a
decimal
• greater than 0.1, but less than 0.9
• multiply the moles by a small integer to obtain
whole numbers

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Percent Composition Using
100 g

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Learning Check

Aspirin is 60.0% C, 4.5 % H, and 35.5 % O.

Calculate its empirical (simplest) formula.

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 Solution
STEP 1 Calculate the moles of each element.
100.0 g aspirin contains 60.0% C or 60.0 g of C,
4.5% H or 4.5 g of H, and 35.5% O or 35.5 g of O.
60.0 g C x 1 mol C = 5.00 mol of C
12.01 g C

4.5 g H x 1 mol H = 4.5 mol of H

1.008 g H

35.5 g O x 1mol O = 2.22 mol of O

16.00 g O
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Solution (continued)
STEP 2 Divide by the smallest number of moles.
5.00 mol C = 2.25 mol of C
2.22
4.5 mol H = 2.0 mol of H
2.22
2.22 mol O = 1.00 mol of O
2.22

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 Solution (continued)
STEP 3 Use the lowest whole-number ratio of
moles as subscripts.
To obtain whole numbers of moles, multiply by a
factor, in this case x 4.
C: 2.25 mol of C x 4 = 9 mol of C
H: 2.0 mol of H x 4 = 8 mol of H
O: 1.00 mol of O x 4 = 4 mol of O
Using these whole numbers as subscripts, the
simplest formula is
C9H8O4

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