Final answer:
A chemical formula represents a substance and indicates the types and ratios of atoms within a molecule. For the formulas given: NO is 1:1, NCl3 is 1:3, N2O4 is 2:4 (simplified 1:2), and P4O6 is 4:6 (simplified 2:3). Subscripts in chemical formulas indicate the number of each type of atom in the substance.
Step-by-step explanation:
A chemical formula represents a substance and indicates the types of atoms present within a molecule, as well as their ratios. It consists of element symbols with subscript numbers to show how many atoms of each element are in the molecule. For the molecular formulas given:
- NO indicates a molecule of nitrogen monoxide, which has one atom of nitrogen (N) and one atom of oxygen (O), so the ratio is 1:1.
- NCl3 represents nitrogen trichloride with one nitrogen atom and three chlorine atoms, giving a ratio of 1:3.
- N2O4 signals dinitrogen tetroxide, consisting of two nitrogen atoms and four oxygen atoms, with a ratio of 2:4 or simplified to 1:2.
- P4O6 stands for tetraphosphorus hexoxide, composed of four phosphorus atoms and six oxygen atoms, yielding a ratio of 4:6 or simplified to 2:3.
The subscripts in the chemical formula such as the numbers in CO2 for carbon dioxide signify the number of each type of atom in a molecule. The molecular formula provides the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule, unlike the empirical formula, which shows the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms.