Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A liquid organic compound gives a positive Lassaigne's test for bromine and for sulphur, and a negative test for nitrogen. Three experiments are then done on it.
In Liebig's method, a sample of of the compound is burnt and gives of carbon dioxide and of water.
In Carius method for halogens, of the compound is heated with fuming nitric acid and silver nitrate. It gives of silver bromide.
In Carius method for sulphur, a smaller sample of is heated with fuming nitric acid. The sulphuric acid formed is precipitated with barium chloride as of barium sulphate.
The vapour density of the compound is . Atomic masses in : H 1, C 12, O 16, S 32, Br 80, Ag 108, Ba 137.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. Liebig and the halogen run: each. Sulphur run: . Molar masses: , .
Step 1. Carbon. . So .
Step 2. Hydrogen. . So .
Step 3. Bromine. . So .
Step 4. Sulphur. . So .
Step 5. Oxygen and the empirical formula. The four percentages add up to , so there is no oxygen. Moles in : C , H , Br , S . Dividing by gives . The empirical formula is , and its mass is .
Step 6. Molecular formula. Molar mass , the same as the empirical formula mass. So the molecular formula is , with carbon atoms.
Answer: (a) . (b) . (c) . (d) . (e) No oxygen; . (f) carbon atoms.
Check. For , bromine is and sulphur , the same as the measured values.
Watch out. The sulphur came from the smaller sample. Dividing by gives only sulphur, and then the total falls short of , which wrongly suggests oxygen.
Log in to join the discussion.
Loading…