Question

How do I find empirical formula?
Hydroquinone acid
C=65.4g
H=5.5g
O=29.1g

Answer 1

divide the mass of each element by the molecular weight to find the moles of each.

Answer 2

Here is what I did but it is wrong. The answer is supposed to be C3H402.
C=65.4/12 = 5.45 / 1.82 = 3
H= 5.5/1 = 5.5 / 1.82 = 3
0 = 29.1 / 16 = 1.82 / 1.82 = 1
So i got C3H3O as my answer. What did i do wrong?

Answer 3

then divide the number moles by the smallest one, in this case is going to be the number of moles of Oxygen

Answer 4

yes I think you are right, I got the same values

Answer 5

who said is C3H4O2?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroquinone
molecular formula is C6H6O2

Answer 6

:O wow so i am right?! thank you!

Answer 7

There's another question that I got wrong for sure. Can I show you?

Answer 8

sure

Answer 9

acrylic acid
C=50g /12 = 4.17 / 2.78 = 2
H= 5.6g /1 = 5.6 / 2.78 = 2
O= 44.4g / 16 = 2.78 / 2.78 = 1
I got C2H20 but the answer should be C3H4O2

Answer 10

yea that is wrong, you have to consider the C 4.17/2.78 =1.5
so then multiply everything times 2 to make whole numbers C3H4O2

Answer 11

Oh I see now. Thank you for your help. :)

Answer 12

np