Nitrogen and oxygen form an extensive series of oxides with the general formula NxOy. One of them is a blue solid that comes apart, reversibly, in the gas phase. It contains 36.84% N. What is the empirical formula of this oxide?

Work out the number of moles in

100.00 grams of the oxide.

For nitrogen: The atomic mass of N is 14.0067, and we have 36.84 g N:

36.84 g N14.0067 g N/mol N=2.630 mol N

For oxygen: The atomic mass of O is

15.9994, and we have

100.00-36.84=63.16 g O:

63.16 g N 15.9994 g N/mol N=3.948 mol N

Now the ratio 3.958 2.630 is very close to

1.5=32

. So we conclude that the gas has three moles

O to two moles N making the empirical formula

N2O3.

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