Question

A sample with a mass of 0.3886g of a compound of mercury and bromine was found to contain 0.1107g bromine. Its molecular mass was found to be 561. What are its empirical and molecular formulas? please show your work because i dont understand it! >< thanks in advance

Answer 1

if the compound only contains mercury and bromine, then you can take the 0.3886-0.1107 to find mass of mercury. Afterwards take ratios of the mass 0.1108/0.3886, and the mass of the earlier calculation/0.3386. This will give the mass ratio for the 2 elements. Afterwards you can use that to find the molecular formula by multiplying the ratios into 561. Finally you can use the molecular formula to deduce the empirical formula