Introduction:
The empirical formula of a compound describes the simplest whole number ratio of a compound. While it may not represent the actual ratio in the molecular formula, the empirical formula can be extremely useful in the analysis of various chemical compounds.
In this lab, you and a partner will be determining the empirical formula of the copper iodide compound produced by direct synthesis from the elements, for the oxidation-reduction reaction:
Cu(s) + I2(g) → CuxIy(s)
Because copper is capable of taking on numerous oxidation states, it is important to know the empirical formula so that the oxidation state of the compound can be determined. By knowing the amount of copper that was started with and the mass of the final copper iodide product, the amount of copper and iodine reacted can be determined and, therefore, the percent of each in the copper iodine compound can be determined.