If the #"empirical formula"# is #CH#, and the molecular mass is #26*g*mol^-1#, what is the #"molecular formula"#?

1 Answer
anor277
May 9, 2017

The molecular formula is always a whole number of the empirical formula...........

Explanation:

............and of course the multiple may be one.

And thus #"molecular formula"="n"xx"empirical formula"#

And so the given molecular mass is #26*g*mol^-1#.

And so #26*g*mol^-1=nxx(12.0*g+xx1*g)#

Clearly, #n=2#, and the molecular formula is #C_2H_2#, which is good because of course we know that #"acetylene"=H-C-=C-H#, i.e. two degrees of unsaturation.

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