Question

What is the smallest whole-number ratio of the atoms in a compound?

Answer 1

In a compound, each element has its atoms in whole numbers. The elements are compared to form ratios which in turn becomes their empirical formula. The number of both elements is reduced concerning the common number to give the empirical formula.

Complete answer:
The empirical formula is the ratio of various elements present in the compound without considering their actual number of atoms. The Empirical formulas are the simplest notation of the formula. The whole number multiple of any empirical formula can be the molecular formula of the compound. Empirical formulas are not unique for a specific compound. They can represent several compounds because the ratios of the elements are taken into consideration. The actual number of the elements does not take part in the empirical formula.
However, you can use the mass composition of the elements to determine the ratio of the elements in the empirical formula. The atomic constituents of the elements are described using the empirical. Structural and molecular formula. Although these differ from each other.
The empirical formulas fail to give information about the absolute number of atoms present in a single compound. It also does not show how the elements are or atoms are bonded to each other. It can only describe the various structures or isomers it can form along with their different physical properties.
Let’s take an example to understand that the empirical formulas are the lowest possible whole-number ratios of the elements.
So, the Molecular formula for Butane and iso-butane is ${{C}_{4}}{{H}_{10}}$. Thus, their empirical formulas will be ${{C}_{2}}{{H}_{5}}$. Both of the formulas are the same for Butane and iso-butane. However, when we look at their structural formulas, butane has a chain structure and iso-butane has a branched structure. Butane is the primary alkane and Iso-butane is a tertiary alkane.

Note:
The empirical formula is half the molecular formula of a compound or a molecular formula can be Said the double of an empirical formula. The relative composition of atoms is useful to find the empirical formula which can be eventually used to determine the moles of the atoms.