To find the empirical formula of a compound given that you have 1.0 grams of sulfur (S) and 1.5 grams of oxygen (O), follow these steps:
1. Determine the molar masses of S and O:
- The molar mass of sulfur (S) is approximately 32.06 grams per mole (g/mol).
- The molar mass of oxygen (O) is approximately 16.00 grams per mole (g/mol).
2. Calculate the number of moles of each element:
- Moles of sulfur: [tex]\(\frac{1.0 \text{ grams}}{32.06 \text{ g/mol}} = 0.0312 \text{ moles}\)[/tex]
- Moles of oxygen: [tex]\(\frac{1.5 \text{ grams}}{16.00 \text{ g/mol}} = 0.09375 \text{ moles}\)[/tex]
3. Determine the simplest mole ratio of the elements:
- The smallest number of moles between sulfur and oxygen here is 0.0312.
- Calculate the ratio by dividing each element's moles by the smallest number of moles:
[tex]\[
\text{Ratio of S} = \frac{0.0312}{0.0312} = 1
\][/tex]
[tex]\[
\text{Ratio of O} = \frac{0.09375}{0.0312} = 3
\][/tex]
4. Write the empirical formula based on the mole ratio:
- Sulfur has a ratio of 1
- Oxygen has a ratio of 3
Thus, the empirical formula of the compound is [tex]\( \text{SO}_3 \)[/tex].
So, the correct answer is [tex]\( \text{SO}_3 \)[/tex].
