Question
Question: What is the relation between empirical and molecular formula?...
What is the relation between empirical and molecular formula?
Solution
Empirical formula is known as the formula which contains the simple whole number ratio of each atom that has been present in the compound. Whereas the molecular formula is defined as the formula which consists of the number of atoms that is combined together so that the compound is formed. We use the molecular formula of the compound as the multiple of the empirical formula.
Complete step by step answer:
As I told you, the molecular formula is considered as the multiple of the empirical formula which means the molecular formula is equal to the n multiple of the empirical formula. The relationship between the molecular formula and the empirical formula is the following:
E=nM
Here the M represents the molecular formula and E represents the empirical formula. So for calculating the empirical formula we need to convert the given mass of the compound into moles by dividing the given mass by molar mass. Then we need to divide the values of the moles of each atom in the compound by that value of mole which is the smallest. Then you need to round off the value to the nearest whole number. And these values are stated as the mole ratio of the elements which can be represented by the subscripts in the empirical formula. So this is the relationship between the empirical formula and molecular formula.
Note: If no data has been available to us then we use the empirical formula for the primary analysis. The empirical formula is considered as the theoretical approach which helps us in analysing the data and also in the production prediction of the compound. Whereas the molecular formula helps in finding the types of the atoms that have been used.