What does the empirical formula indicate?

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What does the empirical formula indicate?

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Answer 1 · 2014-05-19T11:13:06

Empirical formulas provide the lowest whole number ratio of elements present in a compound.

Formulas for ionic compounds are always empirical formulas.

Examples:
NaCl is a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions
$C a F_{2}$ $CaF_2$ is a 1:2 ratio of calcium and fluoride ions
$A l_{2} O_{3}$ $Al_2O_3$ is a 2:3 ratio of aluminum and oxide ions

Empirical fomulas also can be written for molecular compounds (covalent Bonding)

Examples:
Hydrogen peroxide ( $H_{2} O_{2}$ $H_2O_2$ ) has an empirical formula of $H O$ $HO$ .
Glucose ( $C_{6} H_{12} O_{6}$ $C_6H_12O_6$ ) has an empirical formula of $C H_{2} O$ $CH_2O$ .
Sucrose ( $C_{12} H_{22} O_{11}$ $C_12H_22O_11$ ) has the same empirical formula as its molecular formula

Here is a video which discusses how to calculate an empirical formula.

Simple explanation, nice looking website https://www.chem.wisc.edu/deptfiles/genchem/sstutorial/Text6/Tx65/tx65.html

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What does the empirical formula indicate?

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