Chapter 2, Problem 41AP

A dark brown binary compound contains oxygen and ametal. It is 13.38% oxygen by mass. Heating it moderatelydrives off some of the oxygen and gives a red binary compoundthat is 9.334% oxygen by mass. Strong heatingdrives off more oxygen and gives still another binary compound,which is only 7.168% oxygen by mass.

(a) Compute the mass of oxygen that is combined with1.000 g of the metal in each of these three oxides.

(b) Assume that the empirical formula of the first compoundis ${\text{MO}}_{\text{2}}$ (where M representsthe metal). Givethe empirical formulas of the second and thirdcompounds.

(c) Name the metal.