San Antonio High School Paranaque

S.Y 2015-2016
Science Department
2nd Quarter
Worksheet in Science 9
Name: ______________________________
Grade and Section: ___________________

Score:___________
Date: ___________

Chemistry: Percentage Composition and Empirical & Molecular Formula

Solve the following problems. Show your work, and always include units where needed.
1. A compound is found to contain 36.5% Na, 25.4% S, and 38.1% O. Find its empirical formula.

2. Find the empirical formula of a compound that is 53.7% iron and 46.3% sulfur.

3. Analysis of a sample of a compound indicates that is has 1.04 g K, 0.70 g Cr, and 0.86 g O. What is its empirical formula?

4. If 4.04 g of nitrogen combine with 11.46 g of oxygen to produce a compound with a molar mass of 108.0g, what is the molecular formula of this compound?

5. The molar mass of a compound is 92 g. Analysis of the sample indicates that it contains 0.606 g N and 1.390 g O. Find the compounds molecular formula.

6. An acid commonly used in the automotive industry is shown to be 31.6% phosphorous, 3.1% hydrogen, and 63.5% oxygen. Determine the empirical formula of this acid.

7. A solvent is found to be 50.0% oxygen, 37.5% carbon, and 12.5% hydrogen. What is the empirical formula of this solvent.

8. A particular sugar is determined to have the following composition: 40.0% carbon, 6.7% hydrogen, and 53.5% oxygen. Determine the empirical formula of this sugar molecule.

9. If the molar mass of the sugar in question #8 is 180.0 g, find the molecular formula of the sugar.

10. Ethene, a gas used extensively in preparing plastics and other polymers, has a composition of 85.7% carbon and 14.3% hydrogen. Its molar mass is 28 g. Find the molecular
formula for ethane.

Adapted from www.centralvalleysd.org.2015

Answers:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Na2SO3
Fe2S3
K2CrO4
N2O5
N2O4

6. H3PO4
7. CH4O (actually, CH3OH, which is methanol)
8. CH2O
9. C6H12O6
10. C2H4

KEY

Chemistry: Percentage Composition and Empirical & Molecular Formula

Solve the following problems. Show your work, and always include units where needed.
1. A compound is found to contain 36.5% Na, 25.4% S, and 38.1% O. Find its empirical formula.

1 mol Na
1.59 mol Na 0.79 mol 2 Na
36.5 g Na
23 g Na
1 mol S
0.79 mol S 0.79 mol 1 S
25.4 g S
32 g S

Na2SO3

1 mol O
2.38 mol O 0.79 mol 3 O
16 g O

38.1 g O

2. Find the empirical formula of a compound that is 53.7% iron and 46.3% sulfur.

53.7 g Fe

46.3 g S

1 mol Fe
0.959 mol Fe 0.959 mol 1Fe 2 2 Fe
56 g Fe
1 mol S
1.45 mol S 0.959 mol 1.51 S 2 3 S
32 g S

Fe2S3

3. Analysis of a sample of a compound indicates that is has 1.04 g K, 0.70 g Cr, and 0.86 g O. What is its
empirical formula?

1 mol K
0.027 mol K 0.0135 mol 2 K
39 g K

1.04 g K

1 mol Cr
0.0135 mol Cr 0.0135 mol 1 Cr
52 g S

0.70 g Cr

K2CrO4

1 mol O
0.054 mol O 0.0135 mol 4 O
16 g O

0.86 g O

4. If 4.04 g of nitrogen combine with 11.46 g of oxygen to produce a compound with a molar mass of 108.0g,
what is the molecular formula of this compound?

1 mol N
0.289 mol N 0.289 mol 1N 2 2 N
4.04 g N
14 g N
1 mol O
0.716 mol O 0.289 mol 2.48 O 2 5 O
11.46 g O
16 g O
2 N 14 g/mol

5 O 16 g/mol

80 g

N2O5

28 g

Molecular Mass 108 g

KEY Page 2

Chemistry: Percentage Composition and Empirical & Molecular Formula

5. The molar mass of a compound is 92 g. Analysis of the sample indicates that it contains 0.606 g N and
1.390 g O. Find the compounds molecular formula.

1 mol N
0.433 mol N 0.433 mol 1N
0.606 g N
14 g N
1 mol O
0.0869 mol O 0.0433 mol 2 O
1.390 g O
16 g O

NO2

1 N 14 g/mol
2 O 16 g/mol

14 g

32 g

Molecular Mass 46 g

2
46 g 92 g

2 NO 2 N2 O 4 (molecular formula)

6. An acid commonly used in the automotive industry is shown to be 31.6% phosphorous, 3.1% hydrogen,
and 63.5% oxygen. Determine the empirical formula of this acid.

1 mol P
1.02 mol P 1.02 mol 1P
31.6 g P
31 g P
1 mol H
3.1 mol H 1.02 mol 3 H
3.1 g H
1g H

H3PO4 (phosphoric acid)

1 mol O
4.08 mol O 3.125 mol 4 O
16 g O

65.3 g O

7. A solvent is found to be 50.0% oxygen, 37.5% carbon, and 12.5% hydrogen. What is the empirical
formula of this solvent.

1 mol O
3.33 mol O 3.125 mol 1 O
50 g O
16 g O
1 mol C
3.125 mol C 3.125 mol 1 C
37.5 g C
12 g C

CH3OH or CH4O (methanol)

1 mol H
12.5 mol H 3.125 mol 4 H
1g H

12.5 g H

8. A particular sugar is determined to have the following composition: 40.0% carbon, 6.7% hydrogen, and
53.5% oxygen. Determine the empirical formula of this sugar molecule.

1 mol C
3.33 mol C 3.33 mol 1 O
40 g C
1c g O
1 mol H
6.7 mol H 3.33 mol 2 H
6.7 g H
1 gH

CH2O (methanol)

1 mol O
3.34 mol O 3.33 mol 1 O
16 g O

53.5 g O

KEY Page 3

Chemistry: Percentage Composition and Empirical & Molecular Formula

9. If the molar mass of the sugar in question #8 is 180.0 g, find the molecular formula of the sugar.
CH2O

1 C 12 g/mol
1 O 16 g/mol
2 H 1 g/mol

12 g
16 g

2g

Molecular Mass

6
30 g 180 g

6 CH2 O C 6H12 O 6 (molecular formula)

30 g
C6H12O6

10. Ethene, a gas used extensively in preparing plastics and other polymers, has a composition of 85.7%
carbon and 14.3% hydrogen. Its molar mass is 28 g. Find the molecular formula for ethane.

1 mol C
7.14 mol C 7.14 mol 1 C
85.7 g C
12 g C
1 mol H
14.3 mol H 7.14 mol 2 H
14.3 g H
1g H
1 C 12 g/mol

12 g

2 H 1 g/mol

2g

Molecular Mass 14 g

2
14 g 28 g

CH2

2 CH2 C 2H4 (molecular formula)

Answers:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Na2SO3
Fe2S3
K2CrO4
N2O5
N2O4

6. H3PO4
7. CH4O (actually, CH3OH, which is methanol)
8. CH2O
9. C6H12O6
10. C2H4

KEY

Percentage Composition and Empirical & Molecular Formula

1.

1 mol Na
1.59 mol Na 0.79 mol 2 Na
36.5 g Na
23 g Na
1 mol S
0.79 mol S 0.79 mol 1 S
25.4 g S
32 g S

Na2SO3

1 mol O
2.38 mol O 0.79 mol 3 O
16 g O

38.1 g O
2.

53.7 g Fe

46.3 g S

1 mol Fe
0.959 mol Fe 0.959 mol 1Fe 2 2 Fe
56 g Fe
1 mol S
1.45 mol S 0.959 mol 1.51 S 2 3 S
32 g S

Fe2S3

3.

1 mol K
0.027 mol K 0.0135 mol 2 K
39 g K

1.04 g K

1 mol Cr
0.0135 mol Cr 0.0135 mol 1 Cr
52 g S

0.70 g Cr

K2CrO4

1 mol O
0.054 mol O 0.0135 mol 4 O
16 g O

0.86 g O
4.

1 mol N
0.289 mol N 0.289 mol 1N 2 2 N
4.04 g N
14 g N
1 mol O
0.716 mol O 0.289 mol 2.48 O 2 5 O
11.46 g O
16 g O
2 N 14 g/mol

5 O 16 g/mol

80 g

N2O5

28 g

Molecular Mass 108 g

5.

1 mol N
0.433 mol N 0.433 mol 1N
0.606 g N
14 g N
1 mol O
0.0869 mol O 0.0433 mol 2 O
1.390 g O
16 g O
1N 14 g/mol
2 O 16 g/mol

14 g

32 g

Molecular Mass 46 g

2
46 g 92 g

NO2

2 NO 2 N2 O 4 (molecular formula)

KEY Page 2

Percentage Composition and Empirical & Molecular Formula

6.

 1 mol P
1.02 mol P 1.02 mol 1P
31.6 g P
31 g P
1 mol H
3.1 mol H 1.02 mol 3 H
3.1 g H
1g H

H3PO4 (phosphoric acid)

1 mol O
4.08 mol O 3.125 mol 4 O
16 g O

65.3 g O
7.

1 mol O
3.33 mol O 3.125 mol 1 O
50 g O
16 g O
1 mol C
3.125 mol C 3.125 mol 1 C
37.5 g C
12 g C

CH3OH or CH4O (methanol)

1 mol H
12.5 mol H 3.125 mol 4 H
1g H

12.5 g H
8.

1 mol C
3.33 mol C 3.33 mol 1 O
40 g C
1c g O
1 mol H
6.7 mol H 3.33 mol 2 H
6.7 g H
1 gH

CH2O (methanol)

1 mol O
3.34 mol O 3.33 mol 1 O
16 g O

53.5 g O
9.
CH2O

1 C 12 g/mol
1 O 16 g/mol
2 H 1 g/mol

12 g
16 g

2g

Molecular Mass

6
30 g 180 g

6 CH2 O C 6H12 O 6 (molecular formula)

30 g
C6H12O6

10.

1 mol C
7.14 mol C 7.14 mol 1 C
85.7 g C
12 g C
1 mol H
14.3 mol H 7.14 mol 2 H
14.3 g H
1g H
1 C 12 g/mol

12 g

2 H 1 g/mol

2g

Molecular Mass 14 g

2
14 g 28 g

CH2

2 CH2 C 2H4 (molecular formula)