A 10.0 g sample of a binary compound (contains only two elements) of phosphorus and chlorine contains 1.62 g of P. The empirical formula of the compound is ______. (Molar masses: P = 30.97 g/mol; Cl = 35.45 g/mol)
Answer & Analysis
Analysis
Question Analysis
This question involves calculating an empirical formula for a binary compound with two known element masses. The main focus is on accurate mole ratio calculation and simplification for a 2-element system.
Key Concept Explanation
For binary compounds:
1. Calculate the mass of the second element by subtracting the known mass from the total sample mass.
2. Convert both masses to moles, then find the mole ratio by dividing by the smaller mole value.
3. Round to the nearest whole number to get the empirical formula subscripts.
Step-by-Step Solution
1. Calculate mass of Cl:
2. Calculate moles of each element:
Moles of P:
Moles of Cl:
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