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What is empirical formula ?Meaning of empirical formula

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Final answer:

An empirical formula is the simplest representation of a compound's composition, written as the lowest whole-number ratio of its elements. It is used for comparison and chemical analysis but does not indicate the actual number of atoms in the compound.

Step-by-step explanation:

An empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound. It does not show the actual number of atoms but rather the ratio that reflects the proportion of the elements present. For example, the molecular formula for glucose is
C_6H_(12)O_6, but when each subscript is divided by the smallest common divisor, 6, we get the empirical formula
CH_2O, indicating a ratio of 1 Carbon to 2 Hydrogens to 1 Oxygen. This is useful in chemistry because it provides insights into the composition of compounds and allows for the comparison of different substances.

Chemists calculate the empirical formula of a compound by first determining the percentage composition of each element and then converting these percentages into a mole ratio. The empirical formula is instrumental in understanding chemical reactions and properties of substances because it reflects the simplest form of the compound's composition.

User Monte Hurd
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Answer: empirical formula of any compound is the simplest proportion of elements in that compound (i.e. the composition of elements in compound is in simplest ratio ) .It does not provide actual formula of any compound.

molecular formula=n-factor * empirical formula

molecular formula - C6H12O6 (glucose)

empirical formula - CH2O

C6H12O6 * CH2O

What is empirical formula ?Meaning of empirical formula-example-1
User Niczak
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