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Any molecular formula where the subscripts do not have a common factor that can divide them all.

For example: CH4 (methane) is a molecular formula that is also an empirical formula because there is no number (other then one) that can divide both the 4 and the 1.

Take ethane as another example. It hasn't the empirical formula which is similar to the molecular formula.

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What molecular formulas are an empirical formula?

Any molecular formula where the subscripts do not have a common factor that can divide them all. For example: CH4 (methane) is a molecular formula that is also an empirical formula because there is no number (other then one) that can divide both the 4 and the 1. Take ethane as another example. It hasn't the empirical formula which is similar to the molecular formula.


What is the contrast between molecular formulas and empirical formulas?

The empirical formula of a compound shows the lowest whole number ratio of the elements in that compound; AKA simplest formula. The molecular formula describes the number of atoms of each element that make up the molecule or formula unit; AKA actual formula


What do empirical formulas determine?

Empirical formulas determine the ratio of atoms of different elements within a chemical compound and can be derived by dividing the number of each element's atoms by their greatest common factor. They do not necessarily describe the full chemical makeup of a molecule. For example, benzene has the formula C6H6 but its empirical formula is simply CH because there is one hydrogen atom for every carbon atom. Glucose has the molecular formula of C6H12O6; its empirical formula is CH2O. Because the molecular formula for water, H2O, cannot be further simplified (empirical formulas have only whole numbers) H20 is also its empirical formula.


What is the difference between empirical and molecular formula?

An empirical formula is one that shows the lowest whole number ratio of the elements present. The molecular formula shows the composition of the molecules. An example is phosphorus pentoxide, P2O5 empirical formula, P4O10 molecular formula.


Which compound has the empirical formula ch2o?

CH2O is not only the empirical but also the molecular formula for formaldehye. It is also the empirical but not the molecular formula for hydroxyacetaldehyde, acetic acid, methyl formate, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone, and many other compounds.


What are the molecular formula and the empirical formula for benzene?

The molecular formula for benzene is C6H6, and the empirical formula is also C6H6. The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound, while the molecular formula gives the actual number of each type of atom in a molecule.


What is the empirical formula of diborane?

C2H4Br2 is the molecular formula for dibromoethane, it is also known as ethylene bromide.


What additional information do you need to determine the molecular formula?

To determine the molecular formula, you need the molecular weight of the compound, the empirical formula, and any information about the compound's structure or the number of atoms of each element present. Additionally, knowing the types of elements involved can also help in calculating the molecular formula accurately. If the empirical formula is known, the ratio of the empirical formula's mass to the molecular weight will help in finding the actual molecular formula.


How are molecular and empirical formulas related?

An empirical formula may or may not be the same as a molecular formula. The empirical formula of a compound shows the smallest whole-number ratio of the atoms compound. The molecular formula tells the actual number of each kind of atom present in a molecule of the compound.


Can any one substance have the same empirical formula and molecular formula?

Yes, a substance can have the same empirical formula and molecular formula if it consists of the simplest whole number ratio of its elements, and that ratio also represents the actual number of atoms in a molecule. This occurs in compounds like water (H₂O), where the empirical formula (H₂O) and the molecular formula (also H₂O) are identical. However, this is not the case for substances with larger molecular structures, where the empirical formula would typically represent a reduced ratio of atoms compared to the molecular formula.


What is the molecular formula of a compound with an empirical formula of CH?

The molecular formula of a compound with an empirical formula of CH is likely to be CH, as there is only one carbon atom and one hydrogen atom in the empirical formula. In this case, the empirical formula is also the molecular formula.


What could be a molecular formula for the empirical formula C2H2?

The molecular formula for the empirical formula C2H2 is also C2H2. The empirical formula gives the simplest whole number ratio of atoms present in a compound, whereas the molecular formula provides the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule.