Stoichiometry Module: Chemical Analysis

Combustion analysis is often used to determine empirical formulas for unknown materials. We will work through a problem to see how this is done.

Vitamin C, found in citrus fruits and many vegetables, is believed by some to prevent common colds. It has a molecular weight of 176.1 g/mol. An apparatus similiar to the one described on the previous page was used to collect combustion analysis data for vitamin C (with the goal of determining the empirical formula). The worker performing the experiment collected the following data in her lab notebook:

Before the empirical formula can be determined, some preliminary calculations need to be done with the lab data.