Download 1 Miguel is collecting examples of organic compounds found in the

Organic Compounds
Matter and Energy
Level A
Miguel is collecting examples of organic compounds found in the food he ingests. In the table
below, he has listed each food item, an organic compound found within it, and the molecular
formula for the compound he identified. Miguel notices that each of the organic compounds he
listed contains carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O). A few of the organic compounds also
contain nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S).
Food Item
Organic Compound
Chemical Formula
TylenolTM
Acetaminophen
C8H_N_O_
Energy Drink
Caffeine
C_H10N_O_
Wheat Bread
Sucrose (sugar)
C12H_O_
Orange
Citric Acid
C_H_O_
Multivitamin
Riboflavin
C17H_N_O_
Spinach
Folic Acid
C_H_N_O6
Candy with
Food Dye
Sulfanilic Acid
C_H_N_O_S_
Miguel knows that the
chemical formula for
any compound
provides information
regarding the total
number of atoms in the
compound. For
example, in the water
molecule, H2O, there
are three total atoms:
two hydrogen atoms
and one oxygen atom.
In his table, Miguel removed some of the numbers (subscripts) that indicate exactly how many
atoms, for a certain element, there are in the compound’s chemical formula. Use the riddles below
to help you construct numeric equations that can be used to solve for the missing numbers in each
chemical formula. Once finished, use your answers to complete the chemical formulas for each
compound listed in Miguel’s table.
1.  Acetaminophen’s chemical formula contains 2 times as many oxygen atoms as nitrogen atoms.
There is 1 more hydrogen atom than carbon atoms. If there are 20 total atoms in the chemical
formula for acetaminophen and 8 of them are carbon atoms, how many hydrogen, nitrogen, and
oxygen atoms are there?
Analyze given information:
20 total; 8 carbon
2 times as many oxygen as nitrogen
1 more hydrogen than carbon
Formulate a plan or strategy:
Solve for hydrogen
Solve for oxygen and nitrogen
Determine a solution:
Evaluate process and reasonableness:
Do your answers add to 20?
1
Organic Compounds
Matter and Energy
Level A
2.  Caffeine’s chemical formula contains 2 times as many nitrogen atoms as oxygen atoms and 2
times as many carbon atoms as nitrogen atoms. There are 10 hydrogen atoms. If there are 24
total atoms in the chemical formula for caffeine, how many carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms
are there?
Analyze given information:
24 total; ___ hydrogen
2 times as many ___________ as nitrogen
2 times as many nitrogen as __________
Formulate a plan or strategy:
Use a model
Determine a solution:
Evaluate process and reasonableness:
Do your answers add to 24?
3.  For the sucrose compound, there are 45 total atoms. There are 1/2 as many oxygen atoms as
hydrogen atoms. There are 12 carbon atoms. How many hydrogen and oxygen atoms are
there?
Analyze given information:
45 total; 12 carbon
1/2 as many oxygen as ____________
Formulate a plan or strategy:
Use a model
Solve for hydrogen
Solve for oxygen
Determine a solution:
Evaluate process and reasonableness:
Do your answers add to 45?
12
Carbon
Hydrogen
Hydrogen
Oxygen
45 total
4.  Citric acid’s chemical formula contains 21 total atoms. There are 3/4 as many carbon atoms as
hydrogen atoms. One-third of all of the atoms in the formula are oxygen atoms. How many
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms are there in the chemical formula for citric acid? (Hint:
you may want to think about the ratio of atoms for carbon to hydrogen as 3 to 4.)
Analyze given information:
21 total
1\3 total are __________
3\4 as many ________ as hydrogen
Formulate a plan or strategy:
Solve for oxygen
Solve for carbon and hydrogen
Use a T-chart to help
Determine a solution:
Evaluate process and reasonableness:
Do your answers add to 21?
Oxygen:
Carbon
3
Hydrogen
4
Total
7
2
Organic Compounds
Matter and Energy
Level A
5.  Riboflavin’s chemical formula contains 5 times as many hydrogen atoms than nitrogen atoms.
There are 11 fewer oxygen atoms than carbon atoms. There are 1.5 times as many oxygen
atoms as nitrogen atoms. There are 17 carbon atoms. How many hydrogen, nitrogen, and
oxygen atoms are there?
Analyze given information:
17 carbon
5 times as many _________ as nitrogen
11 fewer oxygen than carbon
1.5 times as many oxygen as nitrogen
Formulate a plan or strategy:
Solve for oxygen
Solve for hydrogen and nitrogen
Determine a solution:
Evaluate process and reasonableness:
Do your answers add to 47?
6.  In the chemical formula for folic acid, there are the same number of carbon and hydrogen
atoms. There is 1 less oxygen atom than nitrogen atom. There are 51 total atoms and 6 of them
are oxygen atoms. How many carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen atoms are there in the chemical
formula for folic acid?
6
Analyze given information:
51 total; 6 oxygen
Same _______ and hydrogen
1 less oxygen than nitrogen
Formulate a plan or strategy:
Solve for nitrogen
Solve for carbon and hydrogen
Determine a solution:
Evaluate process and reasonableness:
Do your answers add to 51?
Nitrogen
Hydrogen
Carbon
Oxygen
51 total
7.  In the chemical formula for sulfanilic acid, there are the same number of atoms for both sulfur
and nitrogen. There are 1/2 as many oxygen atoms as carbon atoms. There is 1 more hydrogen
atom than carbon atoms. The oxygen atoms comprise 1/6 of the total number of atoms in the
formula. If there are 18 total atoms in the chemical formula for sulfanilic acid, how many carbon,
hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur atoms are there?
Analyze given information:
18 total; oxygen are 1\6 of total
Same _______ and nitrogen
1/2 as many oxygen as carbon
1 more hydrogen than carbon
Formulate a plan or strategy:
Solve for oxygen
Solve for carbon
Solve for hydrogen
Solve for sulfur and nitrogen
Determine a solution:
Evaluate process and reasonableness:
Do your answers add to 18?
3