Butyric acid is a compound that smells like "baby spit-up, but it can be reacted with ethyl alcohol to make artificial pineapple
fragrance (ethyl butyrate). Butyric acid's percent composition is 54.53% carbon, 9.15% hydrogen, and 36.32% oxygen. Calculate its
empirical formula
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CzH40
CH903
CGH902
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Bonding and Chemical Formulas

Empirical formula is C₂H₄O.

Explanation:

Given data:

Empirical formula:

It is the simplest formula gives the ratio of atoms of different elements in small whole number

Percentage of hydrogen = 9.15%

Percentage of carbon = 54.53%

Percentage of oxygen = 36.32%

Empirical formula = ?

Solution:

Number of gram atoms of H = 9.15 / 1.01 = 9

Number of gram atoms of O = 36.32 / 16 = 2.27

Number of gram atoms of C = 54.53 / 12 = 4.5

Atomic ratio:

            C                      :      H            :         O

           4.5/2.27           :     9/2.27     :       2.27/2.27

            2                      :        4          :        1

C : H : O = 2 : 4 : 1

Empirical formula is C₂H₄O.

a compound is a molecule made of atoms from different elements.

a. by the combination of an unlimited number of elements