In a chemical reaction, sulfur (S8) combines with copper to give a pure compound. If you start with 1.000 g of sulfur (S8) and obtain 4.963 g of pure compound. What is the empirical formula of this compound?

The empirical formula for the given compound is

Explanation:

We are given:

Mass of pure compound containing copper and sulfur = 4.963 g

Mass of S = 1.000 g

Mass of Cu = (4.963 - 1.000) g = 3.963 g

To formulate the empirical formula, we need to follow some steps:

Moles of Copper =

Moles of Sulfur =

For the mole ratio, we divide each value of the moles by the smallest number of moles calculated which is 0.0312 moles.

For Copper =

For Sulfur =

Step 3: Taking the mole ratio as their subscripts.

The ratio of Cu : S = 2 : 1

Hence, the empirical formula for the given compound is