December 23, 2024, 10:58:15 AM
Forum Rules: Read This Before Posting


Topic: empirical formula  (Read 8669 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

ktMSU40

  • Guest
empirical formula
« on: September 14, 2004, 03:16:11 PM »
Ok, I have no idea how to do this problem...if someone could just help me start it, I think I can figure it out.

A compound of nitrogen and sulfur was burned in oxygen to produce nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. The number of moles of nitrogen dioxide produced was 3 times the number of moles of sulfur dioxide produced. What is the empirical formula of the compound? For example, if the empirical formula for the compound contains 2 nitrogen atoms and 3 sulfur atoms, enter N2S3.

Thanks in advance! :)

Offline movies

  • Organic Minion
  • Retired Staff
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1973
  • Mole Snacks: +222/-21
  • Gender: Male
  • Better living through chemistry!
Re:empirical formula
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2004, 03:41:24 PM »
The empirical formula is just the ratio between equivalents of each atom that is present.  How many N atoms do you have per S?

Offline Donaldson Tan

  • Editor, New Asia Republic
  • Retired Staff
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3177
  • Mole Snacks: +261/-13
  • Gender: Male
    • New Asia Republic
Re:empirical formula
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2004, 09:53:13 PM »
let the compound be NxSy where x and y are positive integers

NxSy + (x+y)/2 O2 -> x NO2 + y SO2

The number of moles of nitrogen dioxide produced was 3 times the number of moles of sulfur dioxide produced.

y/x = 3
y = 3x

Emperical Formula of the Nitrogen-Sulphur Compound: NS3
« Last Edit: September 15, 2004, 09:54:54 PM by geodome »
"Say you're in a [chemical] plant and there's a snake on the floor. What are you going to do? Call a consultant? Get a meeting together to talk about which color is the snake? Employees should do one thing: walk over there and you step on the friggin� snake." - Jean-Pierre Garnier, CEO of Glaxosmithkline, June 2006

Sponsored Links