Calculate the empirical formula for each natural flavor based on its elemental mass percent composition. a. methyl butyrate (component of apple taste and smell): C 58.80%, H 9.87%, O 31.33%

Verified step by step guidance

1. Assume a 100 g sample of methyl butyrate. This assumption simplifies the calculation as the mass percent can directly be considered as grams. Thus, you have 58.80 g of Carbon (C), 9.87 g of Hydrogen (H), and 31.33 g of Oxygen (O).
2. Convert the mass of each element to moles by using the atomic masses (C = 12.01 g/mol, H = 1.008 g/mol, O = 16.00 g/mol). For example, to find the moles of Carbon, divide the mass of Carbon by its atomic mass.
3. Calculate the mole ratio of each element by dividing the number of moles of each element by the smallest number of moles obtained in the previous step.
4. Round the ratios to the nearest whole number to get the simplest whole number ratio of the atoms. This step might require multiplying all ratios by a common factor to get all whole numbers if they are close to whole numbers.
5. Write the empirical formula using the whole number ratios as subscripts for each element. If any subscript is one, it is typically not written.

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 percent composition of each element, which is converted into moles to find the ratio. This formula does not provide information about the actual number of atoms in a molecule but rather the relative proportions of each element.

Mole Concept

The mole is a fundamental unit in chemistry that quantifies the amount of substance. One mole contains approximately 6.022 x 10^23 entities (atoms, molecules, etc.). To calculate the empirical formula, the mass percent of each element is converted to moles by dividing by the atomic mass of each element, allowing for the determination of the simplest ratio of the elements.

Mass Percent Composition

Mass percent composition indicates the percentage by mass of each element in a compound. It is calculated by dividing the mass of each element in a sample by the total mass of the sample and multiplying by 100. This information is crucial for determining the empirical formula, as it provides the necessary data to convert to moles and establish the ratios of the elements.