A compound that contains only xenon and oxygen is 73.2% Xe by mass.
What is the empirical formula for this compound?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The problem gives a compound consisting only of xenon and oxygen with 73.2% Xe by mass. To find the empirical formula, start by assuming 100 g of the compound:

- Mass of Xe = 73.2 g
- Mass of O = 100 g − 73.2 g = 26.8 g

Convert to moles using atomic masses (Xe ≈ 131.29 g/mol, O ≈ 16.00 g/mol):
- Moles of Xe = 73.2 g ÷ 131.29 g/mol ≈ 0.557 mol
- Moles of O = 26.8 g ÷ 16.00 g/mol ≈ 1.675 mol

Next, determine the simplest whole-number ratio by dividing by the smallest number of moles (0.557):
- Xe: 0.557 ÷ 0.557 ≈ 1.00
- O: 1.675 ÷ 0.557 ≈ 3.01

The ratio is about 1:3, indicating one xenon atom for every three oxygen atoms, i.e., XeO3.

Notes on potential confusion: If someone tries to use percentages directly without converting to moles, they might misinterpret the ratio. The key is converting masses to moles to compare the relative numbers of atoms. The derived empirical formula XeO3 is consistent with the mass percentages given and with standard oxidation state considerations for xenon-oxygen compounds.

Since the options are missing, there are no alternative choices to evaluate here. The logical steps above show why XeO3 is the empirical formula based on the provided data.

CHEM10003_2025_SM1 ILT-1_CHEM10003

A compound that contains only xenon and oxygen is 73.2% Xe by mass. What is the empirical formula for this compound?

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