Strategy:
As with most stoichiometry
problems, it is necessary to work in moles. The ratio of the
moles of each element will provide the ratio of the atoms of each
element.
- Convert the mass of each element to moles
of each element using the atomic masses.
- Find the ratio of the moles of each
element by dividing the number of moles of each by the
smallest number of moles.
- Use the mole ratio to write the empirical
formula.