Question

Question #932c3

Answer 1

`X_2Y_3`

Explanation:

Atomic mass of `X` = 75
Percentage of `X` = 75.8%
Atomic mass of `Y` = 16
Percentage of `Y` = (100-75.8)% = 24.2%

Divide each percentage by the correlating mass:
`X` - `(P_X)/(M_X)=75.8/75~~1`
`Y` - `(P_Y)/(M_Y)=24.2/75~~1.5`

The ratio of `X:Y = 1:1.5`, but you can't have `1/2` an atom in a molecule, so the ratio must be doubled so `X:Y=2:3`.

The empirical formula = `X_2Y_3`

Proof:
For X - `"Percentage of mass composition" = ("Mass contributuon")/("Total mass")*100 = (2(75))/(2(75)+3(16))*100 = 75.7575... =75.8%`.
For Y - `"Percentage of mass composition" = ("Mass contributuon")/("Total mass")*100 = (3(16))/(2(75)+3(16))*100 = 24.2424... =24.2%`.