Empirical and molecular formula

MOLECULAR FORMULA EMPIRICAL FORMULA

C6H12O6 CH2O
 Molecular formula
The molecular formula is the
true formula representing the
total number of atoms of each
element.
a formula of a compound in
which the subscripts give the
actual number of atoms in each
element in the formula
 Empirical Formula

It is the simplest formula giving

the smallest whole-number ratio
of atoms present in a compound.
a formula which has been
reduced to the lowest terms.
Here are the four formulas being used
as examples:
Molecular Empirical Notice two things:
Formula Formula 1. The molecular
formula and the
H2O H2O empirical formula
can be identical.
C2H4O2 CH2O 2. You scale up from
the empirical
CH2O CH2O formula to the
molecular formula by
C6H12O6 CH2O
a whole number
factor.
Compounds with the same empirical
formula but different molecular formulas

Molecular Boiling
Empirical formula Compound
formula point, °C

acetylene C 2 H2 -84
CH
(92.2% C; 7.8% H) benzene C 6 H6 80

ethylene C 2 H4 -103
CH2 
butene C 4 H8 -6.3
(85.6% C; 14.4% H)
cyclohexane C6H12 80.7

formaldehyde CH2O -21

CH2O
(40.0% C; 6.7% H; acetic acid C2H4O 117
53.3% O) C3H6O3
glyceraldehyde 140
Why chemists use it?

 After a compound has been

analyzed for percent
composition, the formula can
be calculated- the empirical
formula. If the actual weight
of a single molecule is known
then the molecular formula
can be calculated as well.
 How to Find Empirical
Formulas
1. If given the percentages of each element, assume 100
grams of the substance and convert % into grams.
2. Convert to moles by dividing the amount in grams by
the atomic mass of that element.
3. Select the SMALLEST value and divide ALL values by
this smallest one.
4. The results of Step 3 will either be VERY close to
whole numbers or will be recognizable mixed number
fractions If any result from Step 3 is a decimal mixed
number, you round off decimals to the nearest whole
number.
How to Find Empirical
Formulas
5. Use these whole number results as SUBSCRIPTS
and write the empirical formula, listing the
elements in the order they are given in the
problem. (HINT: don’t be surprised in the
subscripts in some formulas are VERY large-many
organic molecules are huge)
This can be summarized
with the following poem

1. Percent to mass
2. Mass to mole
3. Divide by small
4. Rounding decimals to
the nearest whole number
Molecular Formulas – are either the same
as it’s experimentally determined
empirical formula or it’s some whole
number multiple of it.

To determine the molecular formula, you

must know the compound’s empirical
formula AND the molar mass of the
molecular compound.
 How to Find Molecular Formulas
1.Calculate the mass of the empirical formula
(which you have already found or it will be
given to you )

2.Divide the known molar mass by the mass

of the empirical formula.

3.Multiply that number by the subscripts of

the empirical formula to get the subscripts
for the molecular formula.
Example 1.

A compound is composed of 52.14% Carbon,

13.13% Hydrogen, and 34.73% Oxygen by
mass.

a. What is the empirical formula?

b. If the molar mass of the compound is

138.204 g/mol, what is the molecular formula?
Example 2.

A compound is consist of 20.32g of Carbon,

5.12g of Hydrogen, and 7.9g of Nitrogen.

a. What is the empirical formula?

b. What is molecular formula if the molar

mass of the compound is 236.448 g/mol?