HELP ;-; Vanillin, C8H8O3, the principal component of vanilla beans, is very similar to glucose, C6H12O6 a type of sugar. Brittany Spears has a life threatening allergy to vanillin. After one of her concerts she was found dead in her dressing room. A glass lined with a white powder was found smashed on the floor next to her. Police think the glass was lined with vanillin suggesting she was murdered. A 2.54 g sample of this powder underwent carbon-hydrogen analysis. It’s combustion was found to produce 5.875 g of CO2 (g) and 2.41 g of H2O(g) . Find the empirical formula of this compound and determine if Brittany may have been poisoned?
b) Is this evidence enough to conclude for certain that the identity of the powder on the glass is indeed vanillin? Why or why not?

The empirical formula is: CH2

Th powder is not vainillin

Explanation:

We can find empirical formula of a compound CₐHₓOₙ knowing that moles CO2 = Moles C, 2 Moles H2O = Moles H and that we can find the mass of oxygen by the difference of masses of the atoms:

Moles C = Moles CO2 -Molar mass: 44.01g/mol-

5.875g * (1mol/44.01g) = 0.1335 moles C * (12.01g/mol) = 1.60gC

Moles H2O and moles H -Molar mass: 18.01g/mol-

2.41g H2O * (1mol / 18.01g) = 0.1339 moles H2O * (2mol H / 1mol H2O) =

0.2676 moles H * (1g/mol) = 0.27g H

The empirical formula of this compound is the ratio of C:H:

0.2676 moles H / 0.1335 moles C = 2

The empirical formula is:

CH2

In vainillin, the moles of Carbon = Moles of Hydrogen. the experiment shows the moles of hydrogen are twice the moles of carbon. Thus, the powder is not vainillin

the answer to your question is c