Empirical formulae

Work out the formulae of the

following compounds:
Sodium sulphide
Calcium chloride
Aluminium oxide

Empirical formulae
Work out the formulae of the
following compounds:
Sodium sulphide
Na2S
Calcium chloride
CaCl2
Aluminium oxide
Al2O3

Definitions
Empirical formula:
The lowest whole number ratio of
atoms in a substance.
Molecular formula:
The number of atoms of each
element present in a molecule.

Working out empirical

formulae 1
If you know the molecular formula, working
out the empirical formula is straightforward.
For example, the molecular formula of
ethane is C2H6
The carbon and hydrogen atoms are in the
ratio 2:6
This ratio, in its lowest terms, is 1:3
Therefore the empirical formula of ethane is
CH3.

Working out empirical

formulae 1
Work out the empirical formulae of
the following:
C6H12O6
C2H4
C6H3N3O6

Working out empirical

formulae 1
Work out the empirical formulae of the
following:
C6H12O6
CH2O
C2H4
CH2
C6H3N3O6
C2HNO2

Working out empirical

formulae 2
The empirical formula can be worked
out by using data about %
composition or the mass of each
element in the compound.
For example:
Calculate the empirical formula of a
compound containing 83g of
potassium and 17g of oxygen.

Calculate the empirical formula of a compound

containing 83g of potassium and 17g of oxygen.
Symbol
% comp or mass
Ar
n=
divide by
smallest
Lowest ratio

K
83

O
17

Write down the symbol for each

element

Calculate the empirical formula of a compound

containing 83g of potassium and 17g of oxygen.
Symbol
% comp or mass
Ar
n=
divide by
smallest
Lowest ratio

K
83
39.1

O
17
16

Write down the symbol for each

element
Write down the mass or %
composition of each element

Calculate the empirical formula of a compound

containing 83g of potassium and 17g of oxygen.
Symbol
% comp or mass
Ar

K
83
39.1

O
17
16

n=
divide by
smallest
Lowest ratio

2.12

1.06

Write down the symbol for each element

Write down the mass or % composition of
each element
Divide by the relative atomic mass (A r) of
each, to find the number of moles.

Calculate the empirical formula of a compound

containing 83g of potassium and 17g of oxygen.
Symbol
% comp or mass
Ar

K
83
39.1

O
17
16

n=
divide by
smallest
Lowest ratio

2.12
1.06

1.06
1.06

Write down the symbol for each element

Write down the mass or % composition of each element
Divide by the relative atomic mass (Ar) of each, to find
the number of moles.
Divide each of the values by the smallest number of
moles of the elements present.

Calculate the empirical formula of a compound

containing 83g of potassium and 17g of oxygen.
Symbol
% comp or mass
Ar

K
83
39.1

O
17
16

n=
divide by
smallest
Lowest ratio

2.12
1.06

1.06
1.06

Write down the symbol for each element

Write down the mass or % composition of each element
Divide by the relative atomic mass (Ar) of each, to find the
number of moles.
Divide each of the values by the smallest number of moles of
the elements present.
This will often give you the lowest whole number ratio.

Practice Questions
1. What is the empirical formula of a
compound containing 51.3%
calcium and 48.7% fluorine?
2. What is the empirical formula of a
compound containing 26.45g of
aluminium and 23.55g of oxygen?

Practice Questions
1. What is the empirical formula of a
compound containing 51.3%
calcium and 48.7% fluorine?
. CaF2

Practice Questions
2. What is the empirical formula of a
compound containing 26.45g of
aluminium and 23.55g of oxygen?
. When you divide through by the smaller of
the two values for n, you should get 1:1.5.
. Do not round this value.
. Instead, you should multiply through by 2
. 1:1.5 = 2:3
. Al2O3

Converting empirical formulae to

molecular formulae
What is the empirical formula of a
hydrocarbon containing 85.7%
carbon?
The same hydrocarbon has a molar
mass of 42. What is its molecular
formula?

Converting empirical formulae to

molecular formulae
Symbol
% comp or mass
Ar

C
85.7
12

H
14.3
1

n=
7.14
14.29
divide by
7.14
7.14
smallest
Lowest ratio
1
2
A hydrocarbon contains carbon and oxygen only,
hence the remaining 14.3% must be hydrogen.
The empirical formula is CH 2

Converting empirical formulae to

molecular formulae
The same hydrocarbon has a molar mass of 42.
What is its molecular formula?
The mass of the empirical formula unit (CH 2) is 14.
This means there must be more than 1 empirical
formula unit in the molecule.
To work out how many:
Molecular mass/empirical formula mass
= 42/14
=3
There are 3 empirical formula units in the
molecule, so the molecular formula will be C 3H6
Complete the question 1 on page 7 of your study
guide.