Stoichiometry

Empirical formulae
From the syllabus
Molecular formula
• Often the formula we write is actually the
molecular formula
• It shows us actual ratio of atoms in the
compound
• eg.
• H2O
• show us we have 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen
atom in the molecule
• C6H6 - Benzene
• show us we have 6 carbon atoms and 6 6 hydrogen
atoms in the molecule
Empirical formula
• The empirical formula only shows us the ratio of the atoms not the actual number
• As we can’t have half an atom it is always a whole number ratio
• For some molecules it might be the same
H2O, CO2
• For larger molecules it is often different
The empirical formula for Benzene C6H6 is CH
More definitions
• These two must be learnt by heart

The molecular formula of a compound shows

the actual number of atoms of each element in
one molecule

The empirical formula of a compound is the

smallest whole number ratio of each element in
the substance
Empirical formula
1. What is the empirical formula of the following substances?
a) C3H6
b) N 2 H4
c) C3H6O3

2. if SN is the empirical formula and one molecule contains 4 atoms of S, what is the
molecular formula?

tetrasulphur tetranitride
empirical Formula
• What do the following substances all have in common?
• Glucose (C6H12O6)
• ribose (C5H10O5)
• ethanoic acid (C2H4O2)
• formaldehyde (CH2O)
Calculating empirical formula
• Composition by mass or combustion data is often used to calculate empirical
formula as we calculate from experimental data
• Composition by mass information could be in % or mass.
• “a sample consists of: Carbon 43.3 % Hydrogen 15.4 % Oxygen 41.2 %”
• “A sample contains 2.72g of Nitrogen and 7.28g of oxygen”
• Combustion data normally involves you calculating the added oxygen from
burning
Calculating empirical formula
• Four Steps
1. Convert % to grams
2. Calculate the moles
3. Divide all the results by the smallest
4. Find the whole number ratio
Example 1 Calculate the empirical formula of a
1. Convert % to grams
compound which consists of 20%
2. Calculate the moles
Calcium and 80% Bromine
3. Divide all the results by the smallest

4. Find the whole number ratio

Ca Br

1 20g 80g

Answer: CaBr2
 Example 2 50g of a compound was found to
1. Convert % to grams
contain 19.35g of calcium, 10g of
2. Calculate the moles
phosphorus and the rest oxygen
3. Divide all the results by the smallest

4. Find the whole number ratio

Ca P O

Answer: Ca3P2O8
 Example 3 When methyl acetate was chemically analysed, it was
1. Convert % to grams

2. Calculate the moles discovered to have 48% carbon (C), 8% hydrogen (H),
3. Divide all the results by the smallest and 43% oxygen (O)
4. Find the whole number ratio

C H O

1 48g 8g 43g

Answer: C3H6O2
Further practice
1. Calculate the empirical formula for a compound which consists of Na 29.1% S
40.5% O 30.4%
2. If 4.46g of lead oxide reacted with carbon and 4.14g of lead was displaced.
Calculate the empirical formula of the lead oxide.
3. A sample contains 43.64% phosphorous and 56.36% oxygen by mass. Calculate
the empirical formula.
4. Calculate the empirical formula of a substance which contains 63.50 % Ag, 8.25
% N, and the remainder O.