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Title: How do you convert from the empirical formula of a compound to the molecular formula of a compound? Post by: rizzy81 on Sep 24, 2012 I know that there's some kind of factor that you have to multiply the empirical formula by but I was wondering you get it from the problem.
Title: How do you convert from the empirical formula of a compound to the molecular formula of a compound? Post by: juggler2020 on Sep 24, 2012 use the mole ratio
Title: How do you convert from the empirical formula of a compound to the molecular formula of a compound? Post by: tommytoughnut on Sep 24, 2012 Two experiments are required to arrive at the molecular formula for a compound.
1. Do an experiment to find the empirical formula 2. Do an experiment to find the molar mass. Suppose one experiment gives an empirical formula of CH2. Suppose a second experiment reveals that the molar mass of the compound is 28 g/mol. To find the molecular formula, simply divide the molar mass by the empirical formula mass. This should give a simple integer ratio, by which you then mulltiply the subscripts on the empirical formula. For CH2, the empirical molar mass is 12 + 2 = 14 g/mol 28/14 = 2, so multiply the subscripts on the empirical formula to get the true molecular formula, which in this example gives C2H4. |