The compound X4C3 contains 15.03% carbon. What is the chemical symbol for X ?
To determine the chemical symbol for X in the compound X4C3, we need to calculate the molar mass of the compound.
1. Start by finding the molar masses of carbon (C) and X.
The molar mass of carbon (C) is approximately 12.01 g/mol.
2. Next, use the given percentage of carbon in the compound (15.03%) to find the percentage of X in the compound.
Since the compound is neutral, the sum of the percentages of carbon and X should be equal to 100%.
Therefore, the percentage of X can be calculated as follows:
Percentage of X = 100% - Percentage of carbon
Percentage of X = 100% - 15.03%
Percentage of X = 84.97%
3. Calculate the molar mass of the compound using the weighted average of the molar masses of carbon and X.
Molar mass of X4C3 = (Molar mass of X × Percentage of X) + (Molar mass of C × Percentage of carbon)
Assuming that the molar mass of X is given in grams per mole, we can rearrange the equation to solve for the molar mass of X:
(Molar mass of X) = (Molar mass of X4C3 - (Molar mass of C × Percentage of carbon)) / Percentage of X
4. Substitute the known values to find the molar mass of X.
(Molar mass of X) = (Molar mass of X4C3 - (12.01 g/mol × 15.03%)) / 84.97%
5. Once you have the molar mass of X, you can find the chemical symbol for X by referring to the periodic table of elements. The chemical symbol is typically a one- or two-letter abbreviation.
Note: It is important to double-check your calculations and ensure that the molar mass of X is calculated correctly.