Final answer:
The molecular formula of a compound, such as chloroform (CHCl3), is determined by summing the atomic masses of each constituent atom. The molecular mass of chloroform is provided as 119.37 amu. To find a molecular formula in general, one must first identify the empirical formula and then relate it to the molar mass.
Step-by-step explanation:
Finding the Molecular Formula
The question pertains to determining the molecular formula of a compound with a given molar mass. Using chloroform (CHCl3) as an example, which has a molecular mass of 131.39 g/mol, one can find the formula mass by summing the average atomic masses of each atom within the molecule. For chloroform, a single molecule contains one carbon atom, one hydrogen atom, and three chlorine atoms. The calculated molecular mass of chloroform is 119.37 amu (abbreviated as atomic mass units), which agrees with the question provided data.
To derive the molecular formula from a given molar mass, you would perform the following steps: Assess the empirical formula by determining the moles of each element in the compound, and then comparing these to the molar mass to find the true molecular formula which may be a multiple of the empirical formula. In another problem mentioned, determining a compound's molecular formula from its percent composition would also involve a similar process; converting percentages to grams, then to moles, and finding the simplest whole number ratio leading to the empirical formula, which can then be related to the molar mass to find the molecular formula.