Question

please help I'm desperate!! Selenium forms two oxides. One has 28.8% O by mass and the other has 37.8% O. What are the formulas of these two oxides?

Answer 1

Assume 100 g; convert the masses of each element to moles; divide all the individual moles by the one with the least moles.

Multiply them all by the same factor to get them to a whole number.

Answer 2

what do you mean by assume 100 g

Answer 3

well you need to use an arbitrary mass to get their masses, 100 is an easy number to work with.

Answer 4

if you could further explain the steps that would be awesome

Answer 5

theres really nothing else to it,

"convert the masses of each element to moles; divide all the individual moles by the one with the least moles" this is all