how do I determine the Empirical Formula Determination of CU, Cl, and H2O in grams, grams per mole, and number of moles for each?
This is REALLY hard to explain in words without the numbers but I will try but it's with a caveat. If I write this up with words then don't turn around and post the numbers and ask me to do it as SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE un the first place.
1. From your question I assume you will be given grams. If percent just take percent as grams. If in moles you can skip step 2 that follows.
2. Convert grams to moles. That's done by mols = grams/molar mass = ?
3. Now you have moles Cu, mols Cl, mols H2O.You want the ratio of those substances with any one of them no less than 1.00, all whole numbers or can be rounded to whole numbers.
a. The easy way to do this is to divide the SMALLEST value for moles by itself. That gives a 1 for that value, then divide all the other numbers by the same small number. Hopefully this will give you a set of numbers that either are whole numbers OR they can be rounded to whole numbers. Those whole numbers will be the subscripts for each atom, molecule, etc.
3b If the values aren't whole numbers probably you will see quarter, or half etc. For example, if you have a set of numbers like 1.00, 2.50, 5.00 or that could be rounded to that, you multiply ALL of them by 2 so you get 2.00, 5.00, 10.00 and those will be the subscripts.
3c. If some other number like xx.333 then you multiply by 3 to get whole numbers. Or if xx.25 you would multiply by 4 etc.
Post your work if you get stuck on a problem if you want me to help you through it but explain what you don't understand about the next step.