In an experiment similar to the zinc chloride experiment, a student placed a piece of lead in hydrochloric acid. Hydrogen gas was given off, and then the liquid was boiled off. The remaining solid, lead chloride was massed. Use the data below to determine the empirical formula of lead chloride.

mass of beaker 204.35 g
mass of lead and beaker before reaction 214.71 g
mass of lead chloride and beaker after reaction 218.26 g

The empirical formula for the given compound is

Explanation:

We are given:

Mass of beaker, = 204.35 g

Mass of beaker and lead before the reaction, = 214.71 g

Mass of beaker and lead chloride after the reaction, = 218.26 g

Mass of lead =   = [214.71 - 204.35] = 10.36 g

Mass of chlorine =   = [218.26 - 214.71] = 3.55 g

To formulate the empirical formula, we need to follow some steps:

Moles of Lead =

Moles of Chlorine =

For the mole ratio, we divide each value of the moles by the smallest number of moles calculated which is 0.05 moles.

For Lead =

For Chlorine =

The ratio of Pb : Cl = 1 : 2

Hence, the empirical formula for the given compound is