Estradiol is a female sexual hormone that is responsible for the maturation and maintenance of the female reproductive system. Elemental analysis of estradiol gives the following mass percent composition: C 79.37%, H 8.88%, O 11.75%. The molar mass of estradiol is 272.37 g/mol. Find the molecular formula of estradiol.

Verified step by step guidance

insert step 1: Assume you have 100 g of estradiol, which allows you to directly convert the mass percentages to grams: C = 79.37 g, H = 8.88 g, O = 11.75 g.

insert step 2: Convert the masses of each element to moles by dividing by their respective atomic masses: C (12.01 g/mol), H (1.008 g/mol), O (16.00 g/mol).

insert step 3: Determine the mole ratio of the elements by dividing each element's mole value by the smallest number of moles calculated in step 2.

insert step 4: If necessary, multiply the mole ratios by a whole number to get whole numbers for each element in the empirical formula.

insert step 5: Calculate the empirical formula mass and divide the molar mass of estradiol (272.37 g/mol) by the empirical formula mass to find the ratio needed to convert the empirical formula to the molecular formula.

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Empirical Formula

The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of the elements in a compound. To determine the empirical formula, the mass percent composition of each element is converted to moles, and then the ratio of these moles is simplified to the smallest whole numbers. This provides a foundational understanding of the compound's composition before determining the molecular formula.

Molecular Formula

The molecular formula indicates the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule of a compound. It can be derived from the empirical formula by multiplying the subscripts by a whole number, which is determined by dividing the compound's molar mass by the molar mass of the empirical formula. This concept is crucial for identifying the specific structure and composition of estradiol.

Molar Mass Calculation

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, typically expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). It is calculated by summing the atomic masses of all atoms in the molecular formula. Understanding how to calculate molar mass is essential for converting between grams and moles, which is necessary for determining both empirical and molecular formulas in chemical analysis.

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