Question

Please help me find this!

Answer 1

The following diagram represents the collection of CO2 and H2O molecules formed by complete combustion of a hydrocarbon. (Figure 1)

What is the empirical formula of the hydrocarbon?
Express your answer as a chemical formula.

Answer 2

do you know what colors are typically used in molecular models like this?

Answer 3

The red and black are CO2 and Red and White is H2O

Answer 4

Do you know how to figure it out?

Answer 5

do you know what combustion means?

Answer 6

Yes i know what combustion means, i just can't figure out how to set up this problem...

Answer 7

what do the black atoms mean?

Answer 8

the black and red atoms are carbon dioxide so the black is carbon
Red is oxygen i think

Answer 9

if the hydrocarbon is where the carbon atoms come from in order to make the CO2, how many carbon atoms are there?

Answer 10

4

Answer 11

so how many carbon atoms came from the original hydrocarbon?

Answer 12

4?

Answer 13

or is it C4H16 (16 hydrogen atoms) so it would simplify to C2H8

Answer 14

the empirical formula will be the lowest possible whole number ratio of C:H atoms.

Answer 15

so CH4?

Answer 16

Thank you! :)

Answer 17

yes, YW