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The concept of empirical formulas apply to ionic compounds. You write the action first, the anion second, and use the minimal amount of atoms possible to make a neutral compound. A molecular formula would be the formula without necessarily the minimum amount of atoms.
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∙ 9y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoEmperical formula is used for Ionic compounds, since they form crystal lattices. Therefore the emperical formula shows the ratio of the atoms. This is because ionic compounds are not discrete molecules.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoIonic compounds, as the name implies, are made up of positive and negative ions. The bonding in ionic compounds is based mostly on the electrostatic attraction between the cations and anions rather than from the sharing of electrons. No bond is totally ionic; there is some covalent character in every bond. The term "Formula Unit" is used because ionic compounds do not consist of molecules, and it would be technically incorrect to use the term "Molecular Formula."
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∙ 14y agoThe ionic compounds do not exist as free unit but due to non directional nature of ionic bond any one ion is surrounded by 4,6 or 8 oppositely charged ions and pattern repeats itself in all dimensions forming a crystal so the formula can not represent the actual no of combining ions and we simply represent the ratio of ions as empirical formula, the covalent compound may exist as free units (molecules) so we represent the actual no of atoms (molecular formula).
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoAn empirical formula represents the lowest whole-number ratio of ions or atoms in a compound. The formulas for ionic compounds are always empirical, because the proportions of the ions are always reduced to the lowest whole-number ratio. The formulas for covalent compounds are sometimes empirical, in which case they are also the molecular formulas. For example, the formula for water, H2O, is an empirical/molecular formula because the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen atoms is 2:1, which represents the lowest whole-number ratio of atoms in a molecule of water.
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∙ 9y agoEmpirical formulas are used in ionic compounds because of simplicity. They are easier to describe with this type of formula because of their many crystals.
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∙ 13y agoTells you what atoms (or ions) are present in an element or compound.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoIonic compounds are indefinite in extent; they are not small, selfcontained units like molecules. The rule for such things is to give them their formulas as their smallest whole number ratio.
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How are the empirical and molecular for a compound related?
A molecular formula is identical to the empirical formula, and is based on quantity of atoms of each type in the compound.The relationship between empirical and molecular formula is that the empirical formula is the simplest formula, and the molecular can be the same as the empirical, or some multiple of it. An example might be an empirical formula of C3H8. Its molecular formula may be C3H8 , C6H16, C9H24, etc. Looking at it the other way, if the molecular formula is C6H12O6, the empirical formula would be CH2O.
How are empirical and molecular formulas for a compound relation?
A molecular formula is identical to the empirical formula, and is based on quantity of atoms of each type in the compound.The relationship between empirical and molecular formula is that the empirical formula is the simplest formula, and the molecular can be the same as the empirical, or some multiple of it. An example might be an empirical formula of C3H8. Its molecular formula may be C3H8 , C6H16, C9H24, etc. Looking at it the other way, if the molecular formula is C6H12O6, the empirical formula would be CH2O.
What steps are used to convert an empirical formula into a molecular formula?
By determining the molecular mass, then dividing the molecular mass by the formula mass of the empirical formula to determine by what integer the subscripts in the empirical formula must be multiplied to produce the molecular formula with the experimentally determined molecular mass.
How the moleculer formula of a compound is calculated if its emperical formula is known?
The gram molecular mass of the molecule must be measured by some independent method such as freezing point depression or boiling point elevation. Then the factor by which to multiply all of the subscripts in the empirical formula to get the molecular formula is the closest integer to the ratio of gram molecular mass to the gram molecular mass of a single unit of the empirical formula.
What is the formula unit of molecular compounds?
The molecular formula is the formula of a discrete (single) molecule of the substance.The formula unit is generally defined in the same way as the empirical formula, which is the simplest whole number ratio of the elementsChemical formula includes both molecular and formula units.Examples:-Benzene a molecule consisting of a ring of 6 carbon atoms each with a hydrogen attached:-molecular formula C6H6formula unit CH (which is the result you would get if you analysed the compound and worked out the atomic ratio of carbon to hydrogen.NaCl is ionic so you cannot write a molecular formula you express the compound simply as the formula unit (empirical formula)- in its simplest case NaCl (never Na2Cl2 or some such)How can you tell whether a formula is molecular formula or a formula unit. Well if the formula could be "simplified" like benzene C6H6 could be simplified to CH then you know its a molecular formula. Something like SO2 and TiO2, well you need to be told. (SO2 is molecular, TiO2 is ionic)
How are the Empirical and molecular formulas for compounds related?
A molecular formula is identical to the empirical formula, and is based on quantity of atoms of each type in the compound.The relationship between empirical and molecular formula is that the empirical formula is the simplest formula, and the molecular can be the same as the empirical, or some multiple of it. An example might be an empirical formula of C3H8. Its molecular formula may be C3H8 , C6H16, C9H24, etc. Looking at it the other way, if the molecular formula is C6H12O6, the empirical formula would be CH2O.
How are the empirical and molecular formulas for a compound. Related?
A molecular formula is identical to the empirical formula, and is based on quantity of atoms of each type in the compound.The relationship between empirical and molecular formula is that the empirical formula is the simplest formula, and the molecular can be the same as the empirical, or some multiple of it. An example might be an empirical formula of C3H8. Its molecular formula may be C3H8 , C6H16, C9H24, etc. Looking at it the other way, if the molecular formula is C6H12O6, the empirical formula would be CH2O.
How are empirical and molecular for a compound related?
A molecular formula is identical to the empirical formula, and is based on quantity of atoms of each type in the compound.The relationship between empirical and molecular formula is that the empirical formula is the simplest formula, and the molecular can be the same as the empirical, or some multiple of it. An example might be an empirical formula of C3H8. Its molecular formula may be C3H8 , C6H16, C9H24, etc. Looking at it the other way, if the molecular formula is C6H12O6, the empirical formula would be CH2O.
How are the empirical and molecular for a compound related?
A molecular formula is identical to the empirical formula, and is based on quantity of atoms of each type in the compound.The relationship between empirical and molecular formula is that the empirical formula is the simplest formula, and the molecular can be the same as the empirical, or some multiple of it. An example might be an empirical formula of C3H8. Its molecular formula may be C3H8 , C6H16, C9H24, etc. Looking at it the other way, if the molecular formula is C6H12O6, the empirical formula would be CH2O.
How are empirical and molecular formulas for a compound relation?
A molecular formula is identical to the empirical formula, and is based on quantity of atoms of each type in the compound.The relationship between empirical and molecular formula is that the empirical formula is the simplest formula, and the molecular can be the same as the empirical, or some multiple of it. An example might be an empirical formula of C3H8. Its molecular formula may be C3H8 , C6H16, C9H24, etc. Looking at it the other way, if the molecular formula is C6H12O6, the empirical formula would be CH2O.
How are the empirical molecular formulas for a compound related?
A molecular formula is identical to the empirical formula, and is based on quantity of atoms of each type in the compound.The relationship between empirical and molecular formula is that the empirical formula is the simplest formula, and the molecular can be the same as the empirical, or some multiple of it. An example might be an empirical formula of C3H8. Its molecular formula may be C3H8 , C6H16, C9H24, etc. Looking at it the other way, if the molecular formula is C6H12O6, the empirical formula would be CH2O.
What steps are used to convert an empirical formula into a molecular formula?
By determining the molecular mass, then dividing the molecular mass by the formula mass of the empirical formula to determine by what integer the subscripts in the empirical formula must be multiplied to produce the molecular formula with the experimentally determined molecular mass.
What two compounds have the same empirical formula?
CH4 has the same molecular and empirical formulas.
How does one determine a molecule formula from the empirical formula?
The density or some other information must be given that allow you to find the molar mass. Calculate the empirical formula mass. Divide molar mass by empirical formula mass. This answer is multiplied by all subscripts of the empirical formula to get the molecular formula.
How the moleculer formula of a compound is calculated if its emperical formula is known?
The gram molecular mass of the molecule must be measured by some independent method such as freezing point depression or boiling point elevation. Then the factor by which to multiply all of the subscripts in the empirical formula to get the molecular formula is the closest integer to the ratio of gram molecular mass to the gram molecular mass of a single unit of the empirical formula.
What is the relationship between the empirical formula and the molecular formula?
An empirical formula contains the constituent elements in the lowest possible mathematical whole-number ratio. In some cases, this is the legitimate formula for the compound, particularly if the substance you're dealing with is an ionic compound. Sometimes, however, the actual formula, known as the molecular formula, is a whole-number multiple of the empirical formula. The molecular formula for glucose is C6H12O6. However, an empirically-derived formula for glucose would be CH2O, which is the lowest possible ratio of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in that compound.
How can you find the molecular formula of a compound when its percentage composition is given?
Yes, if you have some additional information, such as the molecular weight. For instance, the molecules C2H4 and C4H8 have exactly the same percent composition, but they are very different molecules. So you need some other information to tell them apart than the percent composition.Answer ExpandedThis is kind of a trick question. By knowing the percent composition, you would easily be able to determine its empirical formula, but molecular formula is a bit different. The molecular formula is the actual number of atoms in a molecule, so in order to find the specific molecular formula of a substance, you would also need to know how many grams there is of that substance.(This explains the difference between C2H4 and C4H8)
