Answer :
The empirical formula of the polymer is [tex]CF_2[/tex]. The empirical formula of the polymer used for the nonstick surface of cooking utensils can be determined by finding the simplest whole-number ratio of the elements present in the compound.
To find the empirical formula, we assume a 100g sample of the polymer. This means there are 24.0g of carbon and 76.0g of fluorine in the sample.
Next, we need to convert the masses to moles by dividing them by the respective atomic masses. The atomic mass of carbon is 12.01 g/mol, and the atomic mass of fluorine is 19.00 g/mol.
Moles of carbon = 24.0g / 12.01 g/mol = 1.998 mol
Moles of fluorine = 76.0g / 19.00 g/mol = 4.000 mol
To find the simplest whole-number ratio of carbon to fluorine, we divide both moles by the smallest number of moles, which is 1.998 mol.
Moles of carbon (rounded) = 1.998 mol / 1.998 mol = 1 mol
Moles of fluorine (rounded) = 4.000 mol / 1.998 mol = 2 mol
Therefore, the empirical formula of the polymer is CF2.
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