Input interpretation
sulfamic acid | elemental composition
Result
Find the elemental composition for sulfamic acid in terms of the atom and mass percents: atom percent = N_i/N_atoms × 100% mass percent = (N_im_i)/m × 100% Plan: • Write the chemical formula and gather atomic masses from the periodic table. • Determine values for N_i, m_i, N_atoms and m using these items. • Finally, compute the percents and check the results. Write the chemical formula: NH_2SO_3H Use the chemical formula to count the number of atoms, N_i, for each element and find the total number of atoms, N_atoms, per molecule: | number of atoms H (hydrogen) | 3 N (nitrogen) | 1 O (oxygen) | 3 S (sulfur) | 1 N_atoms = 3 + 1 + 3 + 1 = 8 Divide each N_i by N_atoms to calculate atom fractions. Then use the property that atom fractions must sum to one to check the work: | number of atoms | atom fraction H (hydrogen) | 3 | 3/8 N (nitrogen) | 1 | 1/8 O (oxygen) | 3 | 3/8 S (sulfur) | 1 | 1/8 Check: 3/8 + 1/8 + 3/8 + 1/8 = 1 Compute atom percents using the atom fractions: | number of atoms | atom percent H (hydrogen) | 3 | 3/8 × 100% = 37.5% N (nitrogen) | 1 | 1/8 × 100% = 12.5% O (oxygen) | 3 | 3/8 × 100% = 37.5% S (sulfur) | 1 | 1/8 × 100% = 12.5% Look up the atomic mass, m_i, in unified atomic mass units, u, for each element in the periodic table: | number of atoms | atom percent | atomic mass/u H (hydrogen) | 3 | 37.5% | 1.008 N (nitrogen) | 1 | 12.5% | 14.007 O (oxygen) | 3 | 37.5% | 15.999 S (sulfur) | 1 | 12.5% | 32.06 Multiply N_i by m_i to compute the mass for each element. Then sum those values to compute the molecular mass, m: | number of atoms | atom percent | atomic mass/u | mass/u H (hydrogen) | 3 | 37.5% | 1.008 | 3 × 1.008 = 3.024 N (nitrogen) | 1 | 12.5% | 14.007 | 1 × 14.007 = 14.007 O (oxygen) | 3 | 37.5% | 15.999 | 3 × 15.999 = 47.997 S (sulfur) | 1 | 12.5% | 32.06 | 1 × 32.06 = 32.06 m = 3.024 u + 14.007 u + 47.997 u + 32.06 u = 97.088 u Divide the mass for each element by m to calculate mass fractions. Then use the property that mass fractions must sum to one to check the work: | number of atoms | atom percent | mass fraction H (hydrogen) | 3 | 37.5% | 3.024/97.088 N (nitrogen) | 1 | 12.5% | 14.007/97.088 O (oxygen) | 3 | 37.5% | 47.997/97.088 S (sulfur) | 1 | 12.5% | 32.06/97.088 Check: 3.024/97.088 + 14.007/97.088 + 47.997/97.088 + 32.06/97.088 = 1 Compute mass percents using the mass fractions: Answer: | | | number of atoms | atom percent | mass percent H (hydrogen) | 3 | 37.5% | 3.024/97.088 × 100% = 3.115% N (nitrogen) | 1 | 12.5% | 14.007/97.088 × 100% = 14.43% O (oxygen) | 3 | 37.5% | 47.997/97.088 × 100% = 49.44% S (sulfur) | 1 | 12.5% | 32.06/97.088 × 100% = 33.02%
Mass fraction pie chart
Mass fraction pie chart