What is the empirical formula of a compound that contains two moles of calcium, two moles of sulfur and eight moles of oxygen?

A. CaS0
B. CaS02
C. CaSO4
D. Ca2S0
i think D

No, D has the 2 mols Ca but only 1 or S and 1 of O. That's not what the problem says.

so would it be B

No, you're guessing. I see 2 mols S in the problem but not in the answer. C'mon. Write it down. It says the empirical formula is 2Ca, 2S and 8O. Write it down.

Ca2S2O8. Doesn't that look like a multiple of one of the answers. Remember EMPIRICAL formula means SIMPLEST so.........

To determine the empirical formula of a compound, we need to find the simplest whole number ratio of the atoms present in the compound. In this case, we are given the number of moles of calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), and oxygen (O) in the compound.

From the given information, we have:
- 2 moles of calcium (Ca)
- 2 moles of sulfur (S)
- 8 moles of oxygen (O)

To find the empirical formula, we first need to convert the number of moles to the smallest whole number ratio.

The ratio of the moles of calcium to sulfur is 2:2, which simplifies to 1:1.

Now, let's consider the ratio of moles of oxygen to sulfur. We have 8 moles of oxygen and 2 moles of sulfur. To simplify this ratio, we divide both numbers by the smallest value, which is 2. So, we get a ratio of 4:1.

The empirical formula is then determined by writing the elements in the order calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), and oxygen (O) with their respective ratios.

Based on the ratios obtained, the empirical formula of the compound is CaSO4. Therefore, the correct answer is C.