PERCENTAGE

COMPOSITION OF
COMPOUNDS
Module 1
 WHAT IS EMPIRICAL
FORMULA?
Empirical formula shows the kind and proportions of atoms in
a substance in its simplest form.

WHAT IS CHEMICAL
FORMULA?
Chemical formula is the shorthand way of writing of a substance
by using chemical symbols and numbers subscripts with the exact number of atoms.
 PERCENT
Percent composition tells you by mass what percent of each element is
COMPOSITION
present in a compound.
How to determine the percent
composition of a compound?
In chemistry the relative amount of the elements in a compound are expressed as
the percent composition or the percent by mass of each element in the
compound. So, how is the percent by mass of an element computed?

The percent by mass of an element in a compound is the mass in grams of the

element divided by the mass in grams of the compound multiplied by 100%.

_ _ _ _ _mass
_ _ _ _of
_ _ element
___________
% of mass = x 100%
mass of compound
 STEPS
Step 1: Calculate the molar mass of the compound.
Example: Calculate the molar mass of N2O
Element Number of atom/s Mass MM
N 2 14.01 g/mol 28.02 g
+
O 1 16.0 g/mol 16.0 g
___________
44.02 g
The molar mass of the laughing gas(N2O) is 44.02g.
 STEPS
Step 2: Divide the molar mass of each element by the molar mass of the
compound and multiply by 100%
Example:

__________
28.02g _______
16.0g
% of N= x100 % of O= x 100
44.02g 44.02g
= 63.65% = 36.35%
EMPIRICAL
FORMULA

Module 2
WHAT IS EMPIRICAL
FORMULA?
Empirical formula is the chemical formula of a compound that gives
.
the proportions (ratios) of the elements presents in the compound but not the
actual numbers or arrangement of atoms
 How to determine the
empirical
Formula of a compound?
From the percent composition data, we can calculate the empirical formula of
the compound. For example, the empirical formula of laughing gas is N2O. The
subscripts indicate that the ratio of nitrogen to oxygen in this molecule is two to
one (2:1).
From the percentage of each element in the compound, the chemist then
determines;
1. The number of moles of atoms of each element in 100g of the
compound and;
2. The ratio of the moles of atoms.

PERCENT TO MASS
MASS TO MOLE
DIVIDE BY SMALL
 STEPS
Example: Determine the empirical formula of a compound that has a
percentage composition of 50.05% S and 49.95% O.
Step 1: Percent to Mass
If we have 100g of the compound, 50.05g would be
sulfur and 49.95g would be oxygen.
 STEPS
Step 2: Mass to Mole

1mol of S atom
_____________
50.05g of S x = 1.56 mol of S atoms
32.1 g S

1mol of O atom
_____________
49.95g of O x = 3.12 mol of O atoms
16.0 g O
 STEPS
Step 3: Divide by Small
Divide each number by the smallest number
of moles calculated.
1.56
________ 3.12
________
S: 1.56 = 1 O: =2
1.56

The empirical formula is

SO2
 STEPS

Step 4: Multiply ‘till whole

Incase division by the smallest number does not lead

directly to a whole number ratio, but multiplication of each
element by 2 gives a whole number ratio. Then that is the
empirical formula.
MOLECULAR
FORMULA
Module 2
WHAT IS MOLECULAR
FORMULA?
The molecular formula is a formula that shows the actual number
.
of atoms of each element that are in one molecule for a compound.

the molecular formula gives the actual number of each

kind of atom present in a molecule of the compound.
 FOR EXAMPLE
The molecular formula for glucose is C6H12O6. The molecular formula
.
indicates the exact number of atoms in the molecule.

The empirical formula expresses the smallest whole number ratio of the atom
in the element. In this case, the empirical formula of glucose is CH2O.

To convert between empirical and molecular formulas, the empirical formula can
multiplied by a whole number to reach the molecular formula. In this case, the empirical formula w
be multiplied by 6 to get to the molecular formula.
How to determine the
Molecular formula?
SAMPLE PROBLEM

NutraSweet is 57.14% C, 6.16% H, 9.52% N, and 27.18%

O. Calculate the (a) empirical formula of NutraSweet and find the (b)
molecular formula. (The molar mass of NutraSweet is 294.30 g/mol)
 STEPS
Step 1: Percent to Mass

57.14 g of C
6.16 g of H
9.52 g of N
27.18 g of O
 STEPS
Step 2: Mass to Mole

1mol of C atom
_____________
57.14 g of C x = 4.76 mol of C
12.0 g C

1_____________
mol of H atom
6.16 g of H x = 6.10 mol of H
1.01 g H
 STEPS

1mol of N atom
_____________
9.52 g of N x = 0.68 mol of N
14.0 g N

1_____________
mol of O atom
27.18 g of O x = 1.70 mol of O
16.0 g O
 STEPS
Step 3: Divide by Small
Divide each number by the smallest number
of moles calculated.
4.76
________ 6.10
________
C: 0.68 = 7 H: =8.97 ≈ 9
0.68
 STEPS
Step 3: Divide by Small
Divide each number by the smallest number
of moles calculated.
0.68
________ 1.70
________
N: 0.68 = 1 H: =2.5
0.68
 STEPS

Step 4: Multiply ‘till whole

If the number is too far to round (x.1 ~ x.9), then multiply

each solution by the same factor to get the lowest whole
number multiple.
 STEPS

Step 4: Multiply ‘till whole

C: 4.76/0.68 = 7 x 2 = 14
H: 6.10/0.68 = 8.97 ≈ 9 x 2 = 18
N: 0.68/0.68 = 1x2= 2
O: 1.70/0.68 = 2.5 x 2 = 5

(a) the empirical formula is C14 H18 N2 O5

 STEPS
(b) find the molecular formula by finding the mass of the empirical formula and setting

up a ratio:

C14 H18 N2 O5 = 14(12.0 g) +18(1.01g) +2(14.0g)

+5(16.0g) = 294 g/mol

___________
Molar mass 294.30 g/mol
____________ = 1
Empirical mass 294 g/mol
So, the molecular formula is the same as the empirical
formula

C14 H18 N2 O5
THE END.