What is the ratio of empirical formula mass to molecular formula mass of benzene?

Options

A. 1:6
B. 2:3
C. 6:1
D. 3:2

Answer

To find the ratio of empirical formula mass to molecular formula mass of benzene, we will follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Molecular Formula of Benzene
The molecular formula of benzene is \( C_6H_6 \).

### Step 2: Calculate the Molecular Formula Mass
To calculate the molecular formula mass, we need the atomic masses of carbon (C) and hydrogen (H):
- Atomic mass of carbon (C) = 12 g/mol
- Atomic mass of hydrogen (H) = 1 g/mol

Now, we can calculate the molecular mass of benzene:
\[ \text{Molecular mass of } C_6H_6 = (6 \times 12) + (6 \times 1) = 72 + 6 = 78 \text{ g/mol} \]

### Step 3: Identify the Empirical Formula of Benzene
The empirical formula represents the simplest mole ratio of the elements in a compound. For benzene, the empirical formula is \( CH \).

### Step 4: Calculate the Empirical Formula Mass
Now, we calculate the empirical formula mass of \( CH \):
\[ \text{Empirical mass of } CH = (1 \times 12) + (1 \times 1) = 12 + 1 = 13 \text{ g/mol} \]

### Step 5: Calculate the Ratio of Empirical Formula Mass to Molecular Formula Mass
Now, we can find the ratio of the empirical formula mass to the molecular formula mass:
\[ \text{Ratio} = \frac{\text{Empirical formula mass}}{\text{Molecular formula mass}} = \frac{13}{78} \]

### Step 6: Simplify the Ratio
Simplifying \( \frac{13}{78} \):
\[ \frac{13}{78} = \frac{1}{6} \]
Thus, the ratio of empirical formula mass to molecular formula mass is \( 1:6 \).

### Final Answer
The ratio of empirical formula mass to molecular formula mass of benzene is \( 1:6 \).

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