Answer:
Empirical formula: CO₂
Explanation:
The empirical formula is defined as the simplest ratio of atoms present in a molecule. We must convert the mass of carbon and oxygen to moles as follows:
Carbon -Molar mass: 12.01g/mol-
3.0g * (1mol / 12.01g) = 0.250 moles C
Oxygen -Molar mass: 16g/mol-
8.0g * (1mol / 16g) = 0.50 moles O
The ratio of O:C is:
0.50mol / 0.250mol = 2
That means the empirical formula is:
CO₂
