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you must know the molar mass! you need to get the empirical formula first too.

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Q: What critical piece of information must be known in order to determine the molecular formula?
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How do you calculate Molecular formula from empirical formulaWhat could you do with that information to determine that the empirical and molecular formulas are related to one another by a factor of 6?

In order to find molecular formula from empirical formula, one needs to know the molar mass of the molecular formula. Then you simply divide the molar mass of the molecular formula by the molar mass of the empirical formula to find out how many empirical formulae are in the molecular formula. Then you multiply the subscripts in the empirical formula by that number.


To determine the subscript of an element in a molecular formula the empirical mass must be multiplied by the actual mass?

The actual mass must be divided by the empirical mass. This was derived from the following equation: (subscript)(empirical formula) = (molecular formula) subscript = (molecular formula)/(empirical formula)


The molecular formula for sucrose is C11H22O11. How would the empirical formula of sucrose be obtained from this information?

The empirical formula is the smallest unit which shows the different atoms in their correct ratios. You find it by taking out any common factor from the numbers. In this case all three numbers divide by 11, so the empirical formula is CH2O. In practice, we usually determine the empirical formula from experiment (hence the name), then use it with other information to derive the molecular formula.


How does one determine a molecular formula from the empirical form?

molar mass of unknown/molar mass of empirial = # of empirical units in the molecular formula. Example: empirical formula is CH2O with a molar mass of 30. If the molar mass of the unknown is 180, then 180/30 = 6 and molecular formula will be C6H12O6


Is H2O a molecular formula or formula unit?

a molecular formula

Related questions

What information is needed to determine molecular formula?

the empirical formula and the molar mass


What is the molecular formula of the compound CH2 with molar mass = 42.0?

The molecular formula of a compound can not be determined solely based on its molar mass. In this case, without additional information, it is not possible to determine the molecular formula of the compound CH2.


Determine the molecular formula for the unknown if the molecular mass is 60.0 amu and the empirical formula is CH2O.?

C2H4O2=molecular formula, basically you multiply the empirical formula by 2.


How do you calculate Molecular formula from empirical formulaWhat could you do with that information to determine that the empirical and molecular formulas are related to one another by a factor of 6?

In order to find molecular formula from empirical formula, one needs to know the molar mass of the molecular formula. Then you simply divide the molar mass of the molecular formula by the molar mass of the empirical formula to find out how many empirical formulae are in the molecular formula. Then you multiply the subscripts in the empirical formula by that number.


Can you determine the molecular formula of a substance from its percent composition?

Not completely. The empirical formula of a substance can be determined from its percent composition, but a determination of molecular weight is needed to decide which multiple of the empirical formula represents the molecular formula.


To determine the subscript of an element in a molecular formula the empirical mass must be multiplied by the actual mass?

The actual mass must be divided by the empirical mass. This was derived from the following equation: (subscript)(empirical formula) = (molecular formula) subscript = (molecular formula)/(empirical formula)


What is an emperical formula?

An empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound. It does not provide information about the actual number of atoms present in a molecule. To determine the empirical formula, one must divide the subscripts of the compound's molecular formula by the greatest common divisor to obtain the simplest ratio.


The molecular formula for sucrose is C11H22O11. How would the empirical formula of sucrose be obtained from this information?

The empirical formula is the smallest unit which shows the different atoms in their correct ratios. You find it by taking out any common factor from the numbers. In this case all three numbers divide by 11, so the empirical formula is CH2O. In practice, we usually determine the empirical formula from experiment (hence the name), then use it with other information to derive the molecular formula.


What Process of using empirical formula and the value for experimental molar mass to determine the molecular formula?

The empirical formula is the formula in its most simplified terms. The molecular formula is how many moles there actually are (the empirical formulat multiplied by a factor).


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.


Is molecular formula of a compound provides more information than its structural formula true or false?

Structural formula provides more information


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)