A compound is found to contain 50.05% sulfur and 49.95% oxygen by mass. What is the empirical formula for this compound?

What is the empirical mass of that compound? Answer using four significant figures.

The empirical formula is SO₂. The empirical formula mass is 64.06 u.

Assume that you have 100 g of the compound.

Then you have 50.05 g S and 49.95 g O.

Now, we must convert these masses to moles and find their ratios.

From here on, I like to summarize the calculations in a table.

Element Mass/g Moles Ratio Integers

S 50.05 1.5611 1 1

O 49.95 3.1219 1.9997 2

The empirical formula is SO₂.

EF mass = (32.06 + 2*16.00) u = 64.06 u.

C. SO2

64.07 on edge