A 60g sample of tetraethyl lead, a gasoline additive, is found to contain 38.43g lead, 17.83g carbon and 3.74g hydrogen. Determine the compounds empirical formula.

Empirical formula (which matches the molecular formula) is = PbC₈H₂₀

Explanation:

Our sample: 60 g of tetraethyl lead

In order to determine the compound empirical formula we need the centesimal composition:

(Mass of element / Total mass) . 100 =

(38.43 g lead / 60g ) . 100 = 64.05%

(17.83 g C / 60g) . 100 = 29.72%

(3.74 g H / 60g) . 100 = 6.23 %

These % are the mass of the elements in 100 g of compound. Let's find out the moles of them:

64.05 g / 207.2 g/mol = 0.309 moles

29.72 g / 12 g/mol = 2.48 moles

6.23 g/ 1 g/mol = 6.23 moles

Next, we divide the moles, by the lowest value of them (0.309)

0.309 / 0.309 = 1 mol Pb

2.48 / 0.309 = 8 mol C

6.23 / 0.309 = 20 mol H

There, we have our formula PbC₈H₂₀

the density(ratio between mass and volume as m/v) decreases from top to bottom in periodic table group as the size increases and nuclear charge decreases. but in periods density increases from left to right as atom size decreases and nuclear charge increases.