etrodotoxin is a toxic chemical found in fugu pufferfish, a popular but rare delicacy in Japan. The compound has an LD50 (the amount of substance that is lethal to 50.% of a population sample) of 1.0 x 10-5 grams per kilogram of body mass. Tetrodotoxin is 41.38% carbon by mass, 13.16% nitrogen by mass, and 5.37% hydrogen by mass, with the remaining amount consisting of oxygen. What is the empirical formula of tetrodotoxin

a. the law of proportion states the combination of 2 atoms in a specific ratio to produce multiple compounds such as the given statement of question ‘1st compound contains 88.8 % cu ’ indicates 88.8 g of cu is present along with 11.2 g oxygen in 100 g of compound whereas the statement ‘2st compound contains 79.9 % cu ’ indicates 79.9 g of cu is present along with 20.1 g oxygen in 100 g of compound

1st compound contains 88.8 g cu

for cu

m = 63 g /mol

atomic % = 88.8 /63 = 1.42

for o

m = 16 g /mol

atomic % = 11.2 /16 = 0.7

b. the emperical formula of 1st compound is

cu1.4o0.7

cu2o