please help thanx
2006-10-11 13:14:24 · 5 answers · asked by i ♥ music! 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
A chemical formula that shows the ratio of something to something else. It's not the molecular formula which shows exactly how many elements are in a compound. It's just a reduced ratio.
As Wikipedia says:
In chemistry, the empirical formula of a chemical compound is a simple expression of the relative number of each type of atom (called a chemical element) in it.
2006-10-11 13:16:54 · answer #1 · answered by Shaun 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An empirical formula is the SIMPLIEST mole RATIO between substances in a compound.
I'll give an example to illustrate the definition above:
Three compunds ethene, propene and butene all have the same empirical formula.
Ethene = C2H4 Propene= C3H6 Butene= C4H8
To find the empirical formula of EACH you divide by the lowest common multiple between the 2 numbers in the compunds.
So for ethene the L.C.M. would be 2, when both numbers are divided by 2 you get C1H4 or CH4.
For Propene the L.C.M would be 3 and for Butene the L.C.M. would be 4.
All three would have the empirical formula of CH4. and the original formulae are broken down to their simplest form, thats what an empirical formula is.
2006-10-11 20:27:35 · answer #2 · answered by J D 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
empirical formula
n.
A chemical formula that indicates the relative proportions of the elements in a molecule rather than the actual number of atoms of the elements.
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2006-10-11 20:19:34 · answer #3 · answered by rho b 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its the simplest formula of a compound.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empirical_formula
2006-10-11 20:18:14 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
lowest ratio of the elements in a compound
2006-10-11 20:17:07 · answer #5 · answered by Sasha 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋