Question

Tetrachloroethene, C2C14 is a solvent used in many dry cleaning processes.

Write the empirical formula for tetrachloroethene.

Answer 1

The empirical formula for tetrachloroethene (C2Cl4) is CCl2, as it is the simplest ratio of carbon to chlorine atoms in the molecule.

Step-by-step explanation:

The empirical formula for tetrachloroethene, which is C2Cl4, represents the simplest whole number ratio of the atoms within the molecule. To write the empirical formula, we identify that there are 2 carbon atoms (C) and 4 chlorine atoms (Cl). However, since both numbers in the ratio can be divided by 2, we get an empirical formula of CCl2, which indicates that for every carbon atom, there are two chlorine atoms.

Answer 2

An empirical formula presents the atoms of all the elements with the most simplified whole number ratios. In other words, divide each subscript by their greatest common factor.

The greatest common factor of 2 and 4 is 2.

2/2 = 1

4/2 = 2

So, the empirical formula for tetrachloroethene is CCl₂.