Determine the empirical formula of the following compound:

A 0.4987-g sample of a compound known to contain only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen was burned in oxygen to yield 0.9267 g of carbon dioxide and 0.1897 g of water.

The combustion reaction is CHO + O2 = H20 + CO2

The amount of carbon can be determined by the amount of carbon dioxide.

moles C = 0.9267 g CO2 / 44 g/mol CO2 = 0.0211 moles C = 0.2327 g C

The amount of H can be derived from the amount of water

mole H = 0.1897 g H2O / 18 g / mol H2O = 0.0105 g H

grams O is 0.4987 - 0.2327 g C - 0.0105 g H = 0.2555 g O.

transforming the determined masses to moles and dividing each to the least among the three, the emprical formula is C2HO