When solving for the percent composition of a given compound, the percent of each element in the compound must be found and reported.
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Correct, when solving for the percent composition of a compound, the percent of each element in the compound must be found and reported. To calculate the percent composition, you need to know the mass of each element present in the compound and the total mass of the compound.
Here is the steps to calculate percent composition:
1. Start by finding the molar mass of the compound. This is done by adding up the atomic masses of each element in the compound according to its subscript. For example, if you have H2O (water), you would calculate the molar mass as follows:
Molar mass of H = 1.0079 g/mol
Molar mass of O = 15.9994 g/mol
Molar mass of H2O = (2 x 1.0079 g/mol) + (1 x 15.9994 g/mol) = 18.015 g/mol
2. Calculate the mass of each element in the compound. This is done by multiplying the molar mass of the element by the number of moles of that element in the compound. In the example of H2O:
Mass of H = (2 x 1.0079 g/mol) = 2.0158 g
Mass of O = (1 x 15.9994 g/mol) = 15.9994 g
3. Calculate the percent composition of each element. This is done by dividing the mass of each element by the total mass of the compound, and then multiplying by 100. In the example of H2O:
Percent composition of H = (2.0158 g / 18.015 g) x 100 = 11.19%
Percent composition of O = (15.9994 g / 18.015 g) x 100 = 88.81%
Therefore, to find and report the percent composition of a compound, you need to follow these steps and calculate the percent of each element.