Question

understand how the formulae of simple compounds can be obtained experimentally, including metal oxides, water and salts containing water of crystallisation.

Answer 1

Compounds are formed when elements chemically combine to form bonds. The composition of compounds can be described using empirical formulas.

Step-by-step explanation:

Compounds are formed when two or more elements chemically combine, resulting in the formation of bonds. For example, hydrogen and oxygen can react to form water, and sodium and chlorine can react to form table salt. We sometimes describe the composition of these compounds with an empirical formula, which indicates the types of atoms present and the simplest whole-number ratio of the number of atoms (or ions) in the compound.

For example, titanium dioxide (used as pigment in white paint and in the thick, white, blocking type of sunscreen) has an empirical formula of TiO2. This identifies the elements titanium (Ti) and oxygen (O) as the constituents of titanium dioxide, and indicates the presence of twice as many atoms of the element oxygen as atoms of the element titanium.