Question

What is the empirical formula for ascorbic acid, C6H8O6?

Answer 1

Explanations:

What is the empirical formula?

The empirical formula of a chemical compound is the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms present in a compound.

The formula that relates the empirical formula to the molecular formula is expressed as:

`\text{ (empirical formula)}_n=moleclar\text{ formula}`

Given the molecular formula of ascorbic acid given as C₆H₈O₆, the empirical formula will be expressed as:

`C_6H_8O_6=(empiricalformula)_n`

Since the empirical formula of a chemical compound is the simplest whole number, hence dividing the atom through by 2, we will have:

`(C_3H_4O_3)_2=C_6H_8O_6`

Hence the empirical formula from the given expression will