1. Determine the mass of oxygen:
* Mass of oxygen = Mass of oxide - Mass of phosphorus
* Mass of oxygen = 0.967 g - 0.422 g = 0.545 g
2. Convert masses to moles:
* Moles of phosphorus = Mass of phosphorus / Molar mass of phosphorus
* Moles of phosphorus = 0.422 g / 30.97 g/mol = 0.0136 mol
* Moles of oxygen = Mass of oxygen / Molar mass of oxygen
* Moles of oxygen = 0.545 g / 16.00 g/mol = 0.0341 mol
3. Find the mole ratio:
* Divide the number of moles of each element by the smallest number of moles:
* Phosphorus: 0.0136 mol / 0.0136 mol = 1
* Oxygen: 0.0341 mol / 0.0136 mol = 2.5
4. Convert to whole numbers:
* Since we have a ratio of 1:2.5, multiply both sides by 2 to get whole numbers:
* Phosphorus: 1 x 2 = 2
* Oxygen: 2.5 x 2 = 5
5. Empirical Formula:
* The empirical formula of the phosphorus oxide is P₂O₅.
6. Balanced Chemical Equation:
* The balanced chemical equation for the reaction of phosphorus with oxygen is:
4 P + 5 O₂ → 2 P₂O₅
Explanation:
* The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound.
* The balanced chemical equation ensures that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation, following the law of conservation of mass.
