State and explain with examples:
(a) The empirical formula of a compound.
(b) The molecular formula of a compound.
Answers
Answer:
Empirical formulas show the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound, molecular formulas show the number of each type of atom in a molecule, and structural formulas show how the atoms in a molecule are bonded to each other.
Answer:
Empirical formula → It is the simplest formula of a compound which gives a ratio of different atoms present in one molecule of the compound.
E.g.- One molecule of ethylene (molecular formula C
2
H
4
) contains two atoms of carbon and four atoms of hydrogen. Its empirical formula is CH
2
.
Carbon monoxide has same empirical formula and molecular formula.
Carbon monoxide (CO) has carbon and oxygen atoms in the ratio 1:1 thus it is already as simple as it can be, and the empirical formula is CO, the same as the molecular formula.