What Is The Percentage Composition Of Nicotine?

Here it is.
Nicotine is a compound that contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. If a 2.5 g sample of nicotine is burned in oxygen, 6.78 g of carbon dioxide, 1.94 g of water and 0.432 of nitrogen are the products of combustion. What is the percentage composition of nicotine?
Guys, I really need your help on this. I’m not good in chemistry and I know some of you are. Thanks.

One Response to “What Is The Percentage Composition Of Nicotine?”

1. bookworm Says:
   October 26th, 2009 at 6:26 pm

   if nicotine contains C,H and O we can write a formula like this :
   CxHyOz ———-> CO2 + H2O + N2
   moles of CO2 gained = 6.78g/ 44 g/mol = o.154 mol
   so thr mst b 0.154 mol of C
   moles of H2O = 1.94g / 18 g/mol = 0.108 mol
   so thr mst b 0.216 mol of H
   moles of N2 =0.432g/ 28 g/mol = 0.0154 mol
   so thr mst b 0.0308 mol of N
   moles of O must be; 0.154*2 + 0.108 =0.416 mol
   C H O N
   num f moles 0.154 0.216 0.416 0.0154
   devide by the smallest number (0.0154)
   10 14 27 1
   therefore the composition of nicotine must be as follows;
   C10 H14 O27 N
   < <<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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