An unknown organic compound containing Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen is estimated through Dumas' me — Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis Chemistry Question
Question
An unknown organic compound containing Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen is estimated through Dumas' method. It was determined that the complete combustion of one mole of this compound yielded exactly $6 \text{ moles}$ of $CO_2$, $4 \text{ moles}$ of $H_2O$, and $1 \text{ mole}$ of $N_2$ gas. Assuming the compound only contains C, H, and N, what is the molar mass of the empirical formula of this compound (in $\text{g/mol}$)?
💡 Solution & Explanation
6 moles of $CO_2$ means 6 atoms of Carbon. 4 moles of $H_2O$ means $4 \times 2 = 8$ atoms of Hydrogen. 1 mole of $N_2$ means $1 \times 2 = 2$ atoms of Nitrogen. The simplest formula describing this ratio is $C_6H_8N_2$. Molar mass = $(12 \times 6) + (1 \times 8) + (14 \times 2) = 72 + 8 + 28 = 108 \text{ g/mol}$.