QUESTIONS
1. You can calculate the theoretical ratio of potassium chloride to oxygen from
the formula for potassium chlorate (KCIO₂). In order to do this, you must
obtain the atomic masses of the elements from the periodic table. You next
determine what percentage of the formula mass the potassium chloride
contributes to the potassium chlorate and then determine what percentage
the oxygen contributes to the potassium chlorate. Using these values, you
then determine the theoretical ratio of potassium chloride to oxygen.
Theoretical ratio of potassium chloride to oxygen
percentage potassium chloride
percentage oxygen
(You obtain the percentage of potassium chloride and the percentage of oxy-
gen from the formula for KCIO3.) Determine this theoretical ratio, and then
determine the percentage error in your experimental results as compared to
the theoretical values. The formula for percentage error is
theoretical value - experimental value
theoretical value
Percentage error =
x 100
The "bars" in the numerator of the formula mean "absolute value." This
means that we're interested in the difference between the theoretical value
and the experimental value, not in whether this difference is positive or
negative.