Answer:
The empirical formula is MgClO₈.
Explanation:
To find the empirical formula, which is the minimum integer ratio between the atoms in a compound, we have to follow some steps.
Step 1: Divide each percentage by the atomic mass of the element
[tex]Mg: \frac{10.9}{24.3} =0.449[/tex]
[tex]Cl: \frac{31.8}{35.5} =0.896[/tex]
[tex]O: \frac{57.3}{16.0} =3.58[/tex]
Step 2: We divide all the numbers by the smallest
In this case, the smallest number is 0.449
[tex]Mg: \frac{0.449}{0.449} =1.00[/tex]
[tex]Cl: \frac{0.896}{0.449} =2.00[/tex]
[tex]O: \frac{3.58}{0.449} =7.97\approx 8[/tex]
Step 3: We incorporate these numbers as the atomicities in the empirical formula
The empirical formula is MgClO₈.
