Chemistry
Elements and Compounds

# Can the empirical formula be used to calculate the percent composition of a compound?

###### Wiki User

The empirical formula is the simplest ratio of the elements within a compound. Therefore, it can be used to calculate the percentage of an element within a compound.

For example, the empirical formula for sodium chloride is NaCl. From this, we can see that the ratio of sodium ions to chloride ions is 1Na : 1Cl. Therefore, a sodium chloride molecule is composed of 50% sodium and 50% chloride.

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## Related Questions

### What is the importance of percentage composition?

Percent composition can be used to calculate the percentage of an element/compound in a mixture. From the percent composition, you can also find the empirical formula. And from the empirical formula you can find the actual molecular weight.

### What do empirical formulas tell you?

The empirical formula tells you the simplest formula for the compound. The molecular formula will be some multiple of the empirical formula, or it can be identical to the empirical formula.

### Which could represent the empirical and the formula of a given compound?

The empirical formula is representative for the chemical composition of a compound; the structural formula is representative for the spatial structure of the compound.

### How to calculate Molecular formula from empirical formula?

If you know the molar mass of the compound, you have to calculate the mass of the empirical formula and divide the molar mass of the compound by the mass of the empirical formula in order to find the ratio between the molecular formula and the empirical formula. Then multiply all the atoms by this ratio to find the molecular formula!

### Empirical formulas describe the types of atoms in a compound and their?

An empirical formula give information about the chemical composition of a compound. Example: tetracycline with the empirical formula C22H24N2O8 has the following composition: - carbon 59,44 % - oxygen 28,81 % - nitrogen 6,30 % - hydrogen 5,45 % If you're with plato the answer is ratios

### How do you know when to solve for a empirical formula?

If it tells you to find the empirical formula when percent composition is given or if the mass of each element is given in a specific compound.

### What is the empirical formula for this compound C10 H25 O5?

The empirical formula for the compound C10H25O5 is CH5O. The empirical formula is the simplest whole number ratio of elements in the compound.

### How can you find the molecular formula of a compound when its percentage composition is given?

You have to find its empirical formula using the percentage composition. When you have done that, work out the relative molecular mass (Mr) of the empirical formula. This should be a multiple of the compound's Mr, so you multiply the amount of each atom in the empirical formula by this number, which gives you the final molecular formula.

### How do you know if a formula is an empirical formula?

An empirical formula has no data about the structure of a compound.

### What is determined by an empirical formula?

The empirical formula of a compound gives the simplest ratio of the atoms in the compound (for instance the empirical formula C2H4 would be CH2).

### Explain why the percent composition of certain compounds are not sufficient to determine the compounds molecular formulas?

Because unlike the empirical formula, the molecular formula does not have to be the simplest ratio.If by chance you are given the percent composition of the elements in a substance, you could calculate the empirical formula and then the empirical formula's mass. However, the molecular formula equation is molecular formula= (empirical formula)n, where n is the mass of the molecular formula divided by the mass of the empirical formula. You would, therefore, need to know the mass belonging to the molecular formula, which you are not given.

### What is the empirical formula of a compound composed of 31.1 g potassium and 6.36 g oxygen?

A 9.50g sample of a compound contains 3.03g K+, 2.75 g Cl and oxygen. Calculate the empirical formula.

### What is empirical formula how is it determined?

The empirical formula is determined after the chemical analysis of a compound; the empirical formula do not express the geometrical configuration of the molecule.

### What does a compound formula tell you?

A compound formula, or molecular formula, tells you about the chemical composition of the substance in terms of the number of atoms of that element that are present. From there, the empirical formula may also be derived by simplifying the molecular formula, as well as its structural formula.

### What is the empirical formula for compound whose molecular formula is P4O10?

The empirical formula for a compound whose molecular formula is P4O10 is P2O5 = phosphor pentoxide.

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