Percentage-by-Mass

Composition of a Compound
 Objectives

Be able to compute for the percentage by mass of an element.

Understand how percentage by mass works in a chemical formula.

Have accuracy and precision in computing for the percentage by mass of an element in the
compound.
There are two different ways to describe the composition of a compound: in terms of its
constituent atoms (like C2H6), and in terms of the percentages (by mass) of its elements.

When showing the constituent atoms of a molecule, you can either show the chemical formula,
which shows the real number of atoms in the molecule (like C2H6), or show the empirical formula,
which merely shows their relative amounts in the substance, so the above could be expressed as
CH3.

One has to remember that the proportion (by mass) of the elements in a given
compound is always the same.
 Antoine Laurent
Lavoisier
French chemist

Wrote that burning is a fast chemical combination of the

burning substances with oxygen in the air.

Formulated the Law of Conservation of Mass, which

states that the total mass of reactants is equal to the total
mass of products.
 Edward W. Morley
American physicist

Tested the laws by combining volumes of hydrogen and

oxygen and found the ratio of one to the other was
2.0005. Hence, all samples of water fare composed of
11.186% H and 88.814% O.
 Percentage Composition

Is the percent in total mass of a compound that is due to that component.

Can be determined through experiments or simply by making use of the information supplied in the
formula of the compound

Using stoichiometry, we can determine the percentage of a substance in a compound following

these procedures:

1. Find the molar mass of the compound.

2. Calculate the mass due to the component in the compound.
3. Divide the mass due to the component by the total molar mass of the
compound and multiply by 100%
Percentage Composition =
Mass due to specific component x 100%
Total molar mass of the compound .
 Sample Problem:

Ethanol or ethyl alcohol is a straight-chain alcohol with a formula C2H5OH. What is the percentage
composition of each component on the compound?

There are 2 moles of carbon, 6 moles of hydrogen, and 1 mole of oxygen.

Mass of C = 2 mol x 12.02g/1 mol = 24.02 g C

Mass of H = 6 mol x 1.01g/1 mol = 6.06 g H
Mass of O = 1 mol x 16.00g/1 mol = 16.00 g O
Mass of 1 mol of C2H5OH = 46.08 g
 Sample Problem:

Ethanol or ethyl alcohol is a straight-chain alcohol with a formula C2H5OH. What is the percentage
composition of each component on the compound?

There are 2 moles of carbon, 6 moles of hydrogen, and 1 mole of oxygen.

Mass percent of C = 24.02 g/46.08 g x 100 = 52.13%

Mass percent of H = 6.06 g/46.08 g x 100 = 13.15%
Mass percent of O = 16.00 g/46.08 g x 100 = 34.72%
Assessment