Final answer:
The empirical formula of a compound is the simplest whole-number ratio of its elements, found by reducing the molecular formula's subscripts to the smallest possible integers that retain the element ratio. Examples include reducing C₂H₄O₂ to CH₂O for acetic acid, and C₆H₁₂O₆ to CH₂O for glucose.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the empirical formula of a compound, we must determine the lowest whole-number ratio of the elements within it. When provided with a compound's molecular formula, the process involves breaking down the subscripts to their simplest forms—ideally, the smallest integers that maintain the ratio of elements.
For example, the molecular formula for acetic acid is C₂H₄O₂, which simplifies to a ratio of 2:4:2. By dividing each subscript by the lowest common denominator, which is 2, we arrive at the simplest whole-number ratio of 1:2:1, rendering the empirical formula CH₂O. Moreover, molecular formulas like that of glucose, C₆H₁₂O₆, are also reduced to CH₂O when divided by the coefficient 6, mirroring the process for acetic acid.