A percent composition analysis yields 32.37% sodium, 22.57 sulfur and 45.05% oxygen what is the empirical formula for the compound

Na₂SO₄

Explanation:

Assume that you have 100 g of the compound.

Then you have 32.37 g Na, 22.57 g S, and 45.05 g O.

1. Calculate the moles of each element.

Moles of Na = 32.37 * 1/22.99 = 1.408 mol Na

Moles of S = 22.57 * 1/32.06 = 0.7040 mol S

Moles of O = 45.05 * 1/16.00 = 2.816 mol O

2. Calculate the molar ratios.

Divide all values by the smallest number.

Na: 1.408/0.7040 = 2.000

S: 0.7040/0.7040 = 1

O: 2.816/0.7040 = 4.000

3. Determine the empirical formula

Round off all numbers to the closest integer.

Na: 2

S: 1

O: 4

The empirical formula is Na₂SO₄.