Niobium reacts with fluorine at room temperature to give a solid binary compound that is 49.44% Nb by mass. (a) What is the empirical formula of the compound? (b) Write a balanced equation for the reaction.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Determine the mass percentage of fluorine in the compound. Since the compound is 49.44% niobium (Nb) by mass, the percentage of fluorine (F) is 100% - 49.44% = 50.56%.
2. Step 2: Convert the mass percentages to moles. Assume you have 100 grams of the compound. This means you have 49.44 grams of Nb and 50.56 grams of F. Use the molar masses: Nb (92.91 g/mol) and F (19.00 g/mol) to convert grams to moles.
3. Step 3: Calculate the mole ratio of Nb to F. Divide the number of moles of each element by the smallest number of moles calculated in the previous step to find the simplest whole number ratio.
4. Step 4: Write the empirical formula based on the mole ratio. The empirical formula is the simplest whole number ratio of atoms in the compound.
5. Step 5: Write a balanced chemical equation for the reaction of niobium with fluorine. Use the empirical formula to determine the product and balance the equation by ensuring the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.

Key Concepts

Empirical Formula

The empirical formula of a compound represents the simplest whole-number ratio of the elements present in that compound. To determine the empirical formula, one must first convert the mass percentages of each element into moles, then simplify the mole ratio to the smallest integers. In this case, knowing that niobium (Nb) constitutes 49.44% of the compound allows for the calculation of the ratio with fluorine (F) to find the empirical formula.

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the area of chemistry that deals with the quantitative relationships between the reactants and products in a chemical reaction. It involves using balanced chemical equations to determine the amounts of substances consumed and produced. In this question, stoichiometry will be essential for writing the balanced equation for the reaction between niobium and fluorine, ensuring that the number of atoms for each element is conserved.

Balancing Chemical Equations

Balancing chemical equations is the process of ensuring that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation. This is achieved by adjusting the coefficients of the reactants and products. For the reaction between niobium and fluorine, one must identify the correct stoichiometric coefficients that reflect the empirical formula derived from the mass percentage, thus accurately representing the conservation of mass in the reaction.