1. Assume a 100g sample:
* This makes the calculation easier, as the percentages directly translate to grams:
* 5.93 g Hydrogen (H)
* 94.07 g Oxygen (O)
2. Convert grams to moles:
* Divide the mass of each element by its molar mass:
* H: 5.93 g / 1.008 g/mol = 5.88 mol
* O: 94.07 g / 16.00 g/mol = 5.88 mol
3. Find the simplest mole ratio:
* Divide each mole value by the smallest mole value:
* H: 5.88 mol / 5.88 mol = 1
* O: 5.88 mol / 5.88 mol = 1
4. Write the empirical formula:
* The empirical formula is H₁O₁, which simplifies to HO.
Note: The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound. In this case, the empirical formula HO doesn't correspond to a stable compound. The actual molecular formula for this compound is H₂O₂ (hydrogen peroxide).
The provided molar mass of 34.02 g is consistent with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), which has a molar mass of 34.0147 g/mol. The empirical formula calculation only gives the simplest ratio of atoms, not necessarily the actual molecular formula.
