Give the empirical formula of each of the following compounds if a sample contains (b) 2.10 g nickel and 0.58 g oxygen

Key Concepts

Empirical Formula

The empirical formula of a compound represents the simplest whole-number ratio of the elements present in that compound. It is derived from the mass of each element in a sample and is crucial for understanding the composition of the substance. For example, if a compound contains elements A and B in a 1:2 ratio, its empirical formula would be AB2.

Molar Mass

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, typically expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). It is essential for converting the mass of an element in a sample to the number of moles, which is necessary for determining the empirical formula. For instance, the molar mass of nickel (Ni) is approximately 58.69 g/mol, and for oxygen (O), it is about 16.00 g/mol.

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the quantitative relationships between the reactants and products in a chemical reaction. It allows chemists to calculate the amounts of substances involved based on their molar ratios. In the context of finding an empirical formula, stoichiometry helps in determining the mole ratio of the elements from their masses, which is fundamental for deriving the empirical formula.