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Friday, July 5, 2019

Empirical Formula and Molecular Formula

The empirical formula of a compound is a formula that shows the simplest, whole-number ratio of the atoms in a compound, while molecular formula is the correct formula for a compound.
Here are several examples: 

Molecular Formula
 Empirical Formula
C6H12O6
CH2O
H2O2
HO
CH4
CH4

Note that sometimes (as in the last example) the empirical and molecular formulas are the same.
Recognizing these formulas is not enough, however. You should be able to calculate the empirical formula from the percent compositions and calculate the molecular formula from the empirical formula and the molar mass.
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