5EmpiricalFormulas2016.

notebook January18,2017

Empirical and Molecular Formulas

Aim: To find the empirical formula and molecular
formula of a substance using mole subscript ratios.

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Empirical Formula: a formula which tells you the LOWEST mole

ratio of elements in a compound.

ex: CH4 H2O C3H8

The subscripts CANNOT be reduced. The lowest whole number

ratio means the subscripts CANNOT be divided by a common
factor.

Ionic substances are ALWAYS empirical.

Molecular Formula: Tells you the exact amount of each

element in a molecule. The subscripts can be reduced.

ex: C6H12O6

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5EmpiricalFormulas2016.notebook January18,2017

To check to see if molecules have the same empirical

formula, simply reduce the subscripts.

ex: C6H12O6
C11H22O11
CH4
C2H8
C3H12

The empirical formula can be the molecular formula for a

substance. Ex: Water.

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Determining the Empirical Formula

You are a scientist and want to know the empirical formula of a

compound that is 75% carbon and 25% hydrogen by mass.

1) Assume you have 100 g of the substance and turn

the % values to grams.

2) Convert the grams of each element to moles using

it's gram formula mass.

3) Divide all values of moles by the lowest amount.

This gives you mole subscript ratio and will tell you the
quantity of each atom in the empirical formula.
SUBSCRIPTS MUST ALWAYS BE A WHOLE NUMBER.

Write the mole ratios as the subscripts in the formula.

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5EmpiricalFormulas2016.notebook January18,2017

Practice
1. A compound of sodium and oxygen has the measured
composition of 74.2% Na and 25.8% O. Find the empirical formula.

2. A compound of Oxygen and Fluorine has the measured

composition of 29.6% O and 70.4% F. Find the empirical formula.

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Practice
3. A compound of sulfur and oxygen has the composition of
50% O and 50% S. Determine the empirical formula.

4. A form of the above empirical substance has a molar mass of

256.4 grams. What is the substances molecular formula?

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5EmpiricalFormulas2016.notebook January18,2017

DoNow
A 16.0 g sample containing copper and sulfur is
decomposed to 12.8 g of Cu and the remaining mass is S.
Determine the formula for this copper sulfide compound.

Jan2711:59AM

Empirical and Molecular Formulas

Aim: To find the molecular formula of a substance from
it's empirical formula using the empirical and
molecular mass.

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5EmpiricalFormulas2016.notebook January18,2017

Finding the Molecular Formula from an Empirical Formula

The empirical formula of a molecule is CH2 with a molecular mass
of 84 g/mol. What is the molecular formula of the substance?

Steps:
1) Calculate the empirical mass (gfm of the empirical formula).
The molecular formula is a multiple of the empirical formula,
therefore the molecular mass will be a multiple as well.

2) To get the multiple that must used to find the molecular

formula, divide the molecular mass by the empirical mass (you
should get a whole number)

3) Multiply the empirical formula by the whole number multiple.

This new formula is the molecular formula.

Jan2711:53AM

Practice
1. A sulfur and oxygen compound has a molar mass
of 256.4 grams with a percent composition of 50% O
and 50% S. Determine the empirical and molecular
formula.

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5EmpiricalFormulas2016.notebook January18,2017

Practice
2. An unknown carbon and hydrogen compound has a
gram formula mass (molar mass) of 130 g/mole. The
compound is 92.3% C and 7.7% H. Determine the empirical
and molecular formula of this compound.

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