Percentage Composition of a Compound: What is it?

What’s In
In the earlier lessons you have learned about calculating the molar mass. And the
connection between molar mass, number of moles, and number of particles in a mole of a
substance. You have learned also that molar mass is the mass in grams of one mole of a
substance expressed as g/mol. In your grade 7 lessons, you also knew about compounds.
Compound as you might recall is a substance made up of two or more elements.
Taking for example, water (H2O) is a compound. It has the element Hydrogen and
Oxygen. It has a molar mass of 18 g/mol and consist of 2 moles of Hydrogen atoms and
1 mole of oxygen atom. In this lesson, you will apply your knowledge about compounds
and the mole concept in order to determine the percentage composition of a substance,
in particular compounds.

What’s New

It’s picture analysis time. What can you tell about the image below?
Yes, this picture tells you about a test score.
What else can you see in this image?
This image shows the score of a student on a 20-
item quiz. The student gets a score of 18 over 20
(18/20) or 90%. It means that the student gets 18
correct answers and 2 wrong answers.
The 90% is called the percentage score. If
you want to get your percentage score in a test, you simply divide your score over the total test item
and multiply it by 100. So, in this example, we have 18/20 x 100 = 90%. The table below, shows the
percentage score of the student.

Number of Total Number of (No. of correct answers/ % Score of Correct

correct answers Items total number of items) x answer
100
18 20 (18/20) x 100 90%

How much percent did the student answered wrong in the test? Try this one.

Number of wrong Total Number of (No. of wrong answers/ % Wrong answer

answers Items total number of items) x
100
 Now, why do we need to multiply the percentage score by 100? Because percentage would
also mean an amount in hundred or by a hundred. It is often represented by the percent sign
(%). In this lesson, you will know about percentage composition. Similarly, the concept is likely the
same as getting a percentage in a test score like the example above. So, what is percentage
composition? Let’s go deeper in the next icon “What is it?”

What Is It

A compound as you might recall from your past lessons is usually represented by a chemical
formula that shows the number of atoms of each element in a compound. It contains the symbols of
the atoms of the elements present in the compound as well as the number of each element present
in the form of subscripts.

The percentage composition of any given compound is identified as the fraction of the amount
of each element on the total amount of individual elements present in the compound multiplied by
100. It is simply an expression of its composition in terms of all the elements present. Knowing the
percent composition in a compound is useful in determining the empirical formula of a chemical
substance which will be discussed in your higher years. The percentage composition of a compound
can be computed given its chemical formula or given its mass data.

Percentage Composition from a Chemical Formula of a compound

The percent composition of a compound can be determined from the chemical formula of a
compound. The subscripts in the formula are first used to calculate the mass of each element in one
mole of a compound. Then it will be divided by the molar mass of the compound, and then multiply
by 100%. The formula is given below.

% composition = Mass of element in 1 mole x 100 %

Molar mass of a compound
=

From the given formula, you can get the percentage composition by knowing the following data first:
1. The elements present in the compounds
2. Atomic mass of each elements
3. Number of atoms of each element
4. The Molar mass

Let’s try this one!

Sample Problem 1. Muriatic acid or known as Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is used as a cleaning agent in
the house to get rid of tough stains and molds. Calculate the percentage composition of muriatic
acid? (Atomic masses: H=1.01g, Cl=35.45 g from the Periodic Table)

Name of Chemical Symbol of Atomic Mass Number of atoms %

Compound Formula Elements (Refer to the Composition
Chemical formula)
Hydrochloric HCl H H = 1.01 g Cl 1 atom of H 1 atom H= ? Cl =?
Acid Cl = 35.45 g of Cl
From the table, you list down the known and unknown quantities.
Step 1: List the known and unknown quantities.
Known:
 mass of H in 1 mol H=1.01 g (where, 1 mole H=1.01g)
 mass of Cl in 1 mol HCl= 35.45 g (where; 1 mole Cl=35.45g)
 Molar mass of HCl=36.46 g/mol

Unknown:
 Percent H= ? %
 Percent Cl =? %

Calculate the percentage composition of each element by dividing the mass of each
element by the molar mass of the compound and multiplying by 100%.

Step 2: Calculate.
1.01 g H
%H= x 100 % = 2.77 % H
36.46 g

35.45 g Cl
% Cl = 36.46 g x 100 % = 97.23 % Cl

Step 3: Review your result. It should total up to 100%.

% H = 2.77 % H

% Cl = 97.23 % Cl

Total = 100.00 %

Therefore, HCl has 2.77% Hydrogen and 97.23% Chlorine.

Percent Composition from Mass Data

Percentage composition can be calculated given its masses from each of the element present in a
compound. The sample problem below shows the calculation of the percentage composition of a
compound based on mass data.

Sample Problem 2.

A certain newly synthesized compound is known to contain elements zinc and oxygen. When 30.00
grams of sample is decomposed; 24.12 g zinc remains. Determine the percent composition of the
compound?
Step 1: List the known and unknown quantities.
Known:
 mass of compound = 30.00 g
 mass of zinc =24.12 g

Unknown:
 Percent Zn =? %
 Percent O =? %

Hint: Subtract to find the mass of oxygen in the compound. Divide each element’s mass by
the total mass of the compound to find the percent by mass.

Step 2: Calculate

Mass of oxygen = 30.00 g – 24.12 g = 5.88 g O

24.12 g Zn
% Zn = x 100 % = 80.40 % Zn
30.00 g

%O= 5.88 g O x 100 % = 19.60 % O

30.00 g

Step 3: Review your result. It should total up to 100%.

% Zn = 80.40 % Zn

% O = 19.60 % O
100.00 %

The calculations sounds reasonable because this adds up to 100%.And you can see in
the result that by mass, the compound is mostly zinc with 80.40% composition.

What’s More

The following problems are given for you to practice.

Problem Exercises:
2. Sucrose (C12H22O11) or known as the table sugar has a molar mass of
342.1 g/mol. What is the percentage composition of each element in this
compound? (Atomic masses: C=12.01 g; H=1.01g; O=16.00g from the
Periodic Table)
Name of Chemical Symbol Atomi Number Molar %
 of
of atoms
c (Refer
Compound Formula Elemen Mass Composition
Mass to the
ts
chemical
formula)

Sucrose C12H22O11 C C = 12.01 g 12 atoms of C 342.1 C =?

(Table H H = 1.01 g 22 atoms of g/mol H =?
Sugar) O O= 16.00 g H 11 atoms O =?
of O

Step 1: List the known and unknown quantities.

Step 2: Calculate
Step 3: Study your result. It should total up to 100%.
3. A sample of a compound containing carbon and oxygen have a mass of 132 g. Experimental
procedures showed that 36 g of this sample was carbon and the remaining 64g was oxygen. What is
the percentage composition of the compound?
Step 1: List the known and unknown quantities.
Step 2: Calculate
Step 3: Study your result. It should total up to 100%.

Activity : What Am I Consist Of?

Objective:
 Determine the percentage composition of some compounds that could be found in your homes.
 Identify the components of the compounds
 Cite the significance of these compounds.
Materials:
 Periodic table of elements, calculator
Procedure:Read the following substances commonly found in your homes, know its uses and its composition.
Water (H2O) is the most essential commodity for human consumption. Living things on earth could not survive
without water. (Atomic masses: H=1.01g; O=16.00g from the Periodic Table)
An eggshell is the hard, outer covering of an egg. It consists mostly of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which is a
common form of calcium. (Atomic masses: Ca=40.08g; C=12.01; O=16.00g from the Periodic Table)
Phosphoric acid (H3PO4) is a compound used in detergents, fertilizers, toothpastes and flavouring in carbonated
beverages. (Atomic masses: H=1.01g; P= 30.97g; O=16.00g from the Periodic Table)
Fill-In the table below. Then, calculate the percentage composition of each element in the compounds.

Name of Chemical Symbol of Atomic Number of Molar Mass %Compositio

Compound Formula Elements Mass atoms n
H = 1.01 g O
H =?
Water = 16.00 g
O =?
1 atom of Ca 1
atom of C
Calcium Carbonate Ca =?
CaCO3 3 atoms of O

H 98.00
Phosphoric Acid
PO g/mol
QUIZ- THURSDAY: Direction: Read the following questions carefully and answer the
following:

A. List down the elements that are present in the following compounds:
1. Water, H2O:
2. Sodium Hypochlorite, NaOCl:
3. Sugar, C12H22O11:
4. Eggshell, CaCO3:
5. Baking Soda, NaHCO3:

B. Read the text carefully and answer the questions in the statement that follows.

Sodium chloride (NaCl), or commonly known as the Table Salt is a compound that is used in food
preparation as a food flavouring and as a preservative. Each element present in the table salt
contains the following atomic masses: Na=22.99g and Cl = 35.45g.

_____6. How many grams is in 1 mole of sodium in sodium chloride?

a. 35.45 g b. 22.99 g c. 22.00 g d. 1.01 g
_____7. How many grams is in 1 mole of chlorine in sodium chloride?
a. 35.45 g b. 22.00 g c. 22.99 g d. 1.01 g
_____8. What is the total mass of sodium chloride?
a. 22.99 g b. 35.45 g c. 58.44 g d. 81.43 g
_____9. What is the percentage composition of sodium in sodium chloride?
a. 22.99% b. 35.45% c. 39.34% d. 60.66%
_____10. What is the percentage composition of chlorine in sodium chloride?
a. 22.29% b. 35.45% c. 39.34% d.60.66%

B. Water (H2O) as a compound is the most essential commodity for human consumption. Complete
the given table below and calculate the percentage composition of water. (Atomic masses: H= 1.01
g, O=16.00g)

Number of
Name of Chemical Symbol of Atomic atoms (Refer to %
Compound Formula Elements Mass (g) the Chemical Composition
formula)
H = 1.01 12. _ atoms of H 14. H =
Water 11. HO
O = 16.00 13._ atoms of O 15. O =