Complete combustion of 1.00 g of the hydrocarbon pagodane gives 3.38 g carbon dioxide. what is the empirical formula of pagodane?

Combustion of any hrdrocarbon yields carbon dioxide and water such that the hydrogen and carbon are derived from the hydrocarbon.

1 mole of carbon dioxide has a mass out of which 12 g is the mass of carbon, therefore, 3.38 g of carbon will contain (3.38 * 12) / 44 = 0.922 g of carbon.

Thus, since the hydrocarbon has a mass of 1 g, then the mass of hydrogen will be (1-0.922 g) = 0.078 g.

To get the empirical formula we divide the mass of each element by the atomic mass to get the number of moles.

Carbon = 0.922/12 = 0.0768 moles

Hydrogen = 0.078/1 = 0.078 moles

Then we get the ratio of the moles of carbon : hydrogen

= 0.0768 : 0.078

= 1 : 1.016

≈ 1: 1

Therefore the empirical formula of the hydrocarbon will be CH