The weight percent of oxygen in an oxide that has the formula MO2, is 15.2%. What is the molar mass of this compound? What element or elements are possible for M?

what can someone give me a push in the right direction????

Let x be the taonic mass of the unknown element.

Solve the equation
x/(32 + x) = 0.152

Solve for x. It should closely agree with the atomic mass of hafnium. There IS an HfO2 molecule

If I run this calculation I obtain 5.73 for x. I wonder if the expression should be
x/(32+x) = 100-15.2=.848??

And I made a typo (actually, two typos, both placing the decimal point); it should be
1.00-0.152=0.848

Could you please set up a tutorial of how to work out molar mass. Could it please include step by step procedures of how to work the problem out.

I misread your question. Please ignore my previous answer

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance. To calculate the molar mass of a compound, you need to know the atomic masses of the elements that make up the compound.

For example, if you have a compound with the formula MO2, you need to know the atomic mass of M and the atomic mass of oxygen.

Once you have the atomic masses, you can calculate the molar mass of the compound by multiplying the atomic mass of each element by the number of atoms of that element in the compound.

For example, if M has an atomic mass of 5.73 and oxygen has an atomic mass of 16, the molar mass of MO2 would be 5.73 x 1 + 16 x 2 = 37.46.

The element M could be any element with an atomic mass of 5.73, such as hafnium (Hf).

Sure, here's a step-by-step procedure on how to work out the molar mass of a compound:

Step 1: Identify the elements present in the compound. In this case, the formula of the compound is MO2, where M represents an unknown element.

Step 2: Determine the molar mass of each element in the periodic table. You can find the molar mass of elements on the periodic table or by using online resources. For example, the molar mass of oxygen (O) is approximately 16 grams per mole.

Step 3: Assign a variable, such as x, to represent the molar mass of the unknown element M.

Step 4: Use the given weight percent of oxygen (15.2%) to set up an equation. The weight percent is calculated by dividing the mass of oxygen by the total mass of the compound (oxygen + unknown element) and multiplying by 100%.

So, the equation can be written as:

(16 grams per mole)/(16 grams per mole + x grams per mole) = 0.152

Step 5: Solve the equation for x. You can do this by cross-multiplying or by using algebraic manipulation.

In this case, cross-multiplying the equation gives:

(16 grams per mole) * (1 - 0.152) = x grams per mole

Step 6: Evaluate the right side of the equation to find the value of x. In this case, calculate (1 - 0.152) to get 0.848.

So, x = (16 grams per mole) * 0.848 = 13.568 grams per mole.

Step 7: Finally, determine the molar mass of the compound by adding up the molar masses of each element. In this case, you add the molar mass of oxygen (16 grams per mole) multiplied by 2, and the molar mass of the unknown element (13.568 grams per mole).

Molar mass of MO2 = (16 grams per mole * 2) + 13.568 grams per mole

Therefore, the molar mass of the compound MO2 is approximately 45.568 grams per mole.

I apologize for the previous incorrect information and confusion. I hope this step-by-step procedure clarifies the calculation process for finding the molar mass. Let me know if you have any further questions!

No problem! Let's work through the problem of finding the molar mass step by step.

1. We are given that the weight percent of oxygen in the compound MO2 is 15.2%. This means that out of the total weight of the compound, 15.2% comes from oxygen.

2. To find the molar mass, we need to determine the elements present in the compound and their respective atomic masses. Since we already know that oxygen is present, let's consider the element M.

3. Let's assume the atomic mass of M is x.

4. The formula MO2 tells us that there are two oxygen atoms for every one M atom. Since the molar mass of oxygen is 16 g/mol, the total mass contribution from oxygen is 2 * 16 = 32 g.

5. We can set up an equation to calculate the molar mass using the given weight percent of oxygen:
x / (32 + x) = 0.152 (as a decimal)

6. Now, we can solve this equation for x. Multiply both sides of the equation by (32 + x):
x = 0.152 * (32 + x)

7. Distribute on the right side of the equation:
x = 4.864 + 0.152x

8. Simplify the equation by subtracting 0.152x from both sides:
x - 0.152x = 4.864

9. Combine like terms:
0.848x = 4.864

10. Divide both sides of the equation by 0.848:
x = 4.864 / 0.848

11. Calculate x:
x ≈ 5.74

12. The value of x represents the molar mass of the unknown element M.

13. The element with an atomic mass close to 5.74 is Hafnium (Hf). Therefore, Hafnium is a possible element for M.

To summarize, the molar mass of the compound MO2 is approximately 5.74 g/mol. The element M could potentially be Hafnium (Hf).