However, a compound of molecular formula C2H4O will have the same atom ratio, mole ratio, mass ratio or mass percent as C4H8O2 because C4H8O2 is (C2H4O)2. We say that these compounds (C4H8O2 and C2H4O) have different molecular formulas but the same empirical formula (C2H4O).

C13H18O2

CH2O

Now: Tie Elemental Analysis and Mass Spectroscopy Together… Example 1:You’ve done the math and determined that Unknown Compound X has an empirical formula of C3H6O. Using the values we just defined above for carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, the weight of that empirical formula is 58 a.m.u.

CH₃COOH

2 Answers. #1. 0. A compound’s empirical formula tells you the smallest whole number ratio that exists between the elements that make up a compound. In your case, the unknown compound has an empirical formula of C2H4O, which means that it contains carbon, C, hydrogen, H, and oxygen, O, in a 2:4:1 ratio.

Explanation: An empirical formula represents the simplest whole number ratio of elements in a compound. Since the subscripts of the elements in C6H12O6 can be divided by 6 to get the simplest whole number ratio of elements, it is not an empirical formula.

Chemical formulas tell you how many atoms of each element are in a compound, and empirical formulas tell you the simplest or most reduced ratio of elements in a compound. If a compound’s chemical formula cannot be reduced any more, then the empirical formula is the same as the chemical formula.

So, the empirical formula mass is 17.01 g/mol. Divide the gram molecular mass by the empirical formula mass. Multiply each of the subscripts within the empirical formula by the number calculated in Step 2. Multiplying the subscripts within the empirical formula by this number gives you the molecular formula H2O2.

Divide the molar mass of the compound by the empirical formula molar mass. The result should be a whole number or very close to a whole number. Multiply all the subscripts in the empirical formula by the whole number found in step 2. The result is the molecular formula.

The empirical formula of a compound gives the simplest ratio of the number of different atoms present, whereas the molecular formula gives the actual number of each different atom present in a molecule. If the formula is simplified then it is an empirical formula.

In chemistry, the empirical formula of a chemical compound is the simplest positive integer ratio of atoms present in a compound. A simple example of this concept is that the empirical formula of sulfur monoxide, or SO, would simply be SO, as is the empirical formula of disulfur dioxide, S2O2.