# The most common form of nylon (nylon-6) is 63.68% carbon, 12.38% nitrogen, 9.80% hydrogen, and 14.14% oxygen. Calculate the empirical formula for nylon-6 .

### Chemistry: An Atoms First Approach

2nd Edition
Steven S. Zumdahl + 1 other
Publisher: Cengage Learning
ISBN: 9781305079243

Chapter
Section

### Chemistry: An Atoms First Approach

2nd Edition
Steven S. Zumdahl + 1 other
Publisher: Cengage Learning
ISBN: 9781305079243
Chapter 5, Problem 84E
Textbook Problem
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## The most common form of nylon (nylon-6) is 63.68% carbon, 12.38% nitrogen, 9.80% hydrogen, and 14.14% oxygen. Calculate the empirical formula for nylon-6 .

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation: The percentage composition of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen of nylon-6 is given. The empirical formula of nylon-6 is to be calculated.

Concept introduction: The empirical formula is a formula which gives elemental composition of a compound. It is the smallest whole number ratio of atoms of each element.

To determine: The empirical formula of nylon-6 compound that contains carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen.

### Explanation of Solution

Given

The percentage composition of carbon (C) is 63.68% .

The percentage composition of nitrogen (N) is 12.38% .

The percentage composition of hydrogen (H) is 9.80% .

The percentage composition of oxygen (O) is 14.14% .

The atomic mass of carbon (C) is 12.01g .

The atomic mass of oxygen (O) is 15.999g .

The atomic mass of hydrogen (H) is 1.008g .

The atomic mass of nitrogen (N) is 14.006g .

Formula

The number of moles in each element in 100.0g of compound is calculated by using the formula,

Molesofatom=Masspercentofatom×1molofatomAtomicmass (1)

Substitute the values of mass percent and atomic mass of carbon in above equation.

MolesofC=MasspercentofC×1molofCAtomicmassofC=63.68g×1molofC12.01g=5.30mol

Substitute the values of mass percent and atomic mass of hydrogen in equation (1).

MolesofH=MasspercentofH×1molofHAtomicmassofH=9

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