how do we determine the formula of a sample?

[aerorik]

hey knowledge seekers....i ve a basic doubt in chemistry. it goes like this.....

suppose i give u a liquid sample. and assume you cant find out what it is from either its color or odor. then can u write an algorithm to find out its chemical formula?? any clue where can i get a better answer?

[insane_alien]

you don't write an algorithm, nor can you 100% positively identify a chemical from colour/odour alone.

 

what you'd do is perform a number of experiments. IR spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy would be useful but may not be available so chemical methods may be required.

[hermanntrude]

the first few experiments would be to determine whether it was organic or inorganic, aqueous or non-aqueous. After that, depending on the results, the tests would be different.

 

If it turned out to be organic, NMR, IR and melting-point or boiling point information would be useful. Perhaps a mass-spectrum too.

 

If it was an inorganic substance dissolved in water I'd probably give it to an inorganic chemist and tell them to do it for me :0)

[John Cuthber]

Is "give the sampel to an analytical chemist and pay them lots of money" an algorithm?

[hermanntrude]

certainly it's a fairly simple one. perhaps you could build a machine with an analytical chemist inside it, a food tube, water tube, evacuation tubes and an air supply and a depository station for you to send in samples... then you'd have a machine for doing it all. Fairly cheap, too

[Psycho]

certainly it's a fairly simple one. perhaps you could build a machine with an analytical chemist inside it, a food tube, water tube, evacuation tubes and an air supply and a depository station for you to send in samples... then you'd have a machine for doing it all. Fairly cheap, too

You forgot the exercise wheel and straw bedding.