[cashboxz01]

Determine the emperical formula for the compound with composition by weight:
17.15% sodium; 11.96% sulfur; 65.63% oxygen; and 5.26% hydrogen

And...write the formula as a hydrate


Now IDK what this means, this is like a whole new language. Can someone plz help me. I dont know about any ions jumping around giving electrons and charges and stuff. I don't understand, seriously I think he hates me. It's like I don't know what I have against him, but I really think that he hates me.

[DrCMS]

It's actually very easy.

Take a nonominal 100g of material.
Caclulate the weights of each element.
From the weights calculate the moles of each element.
Divide each figure by the smallest no. (in the case the no of moles of S)
You should now have 4 whole numbers.
You are helpfully told the compound is a hydrate so from the amount of H work out how many waters you can form.  Deduct the amount of O used up.
You now have an amount of Na S and O (plus xH₂O)
Make a sensible inorganic compound with the correct amounts of Na, S and O.
Write out the full formula with the waters.