Calculating Empirical and
Molecular Formulas
What is an Empirical Formula?
• The formula of a compound expressed as the smallest
possible whole-number ratio of subscripts of the
elements in the formula.
What is a Molecular Formula?
It is the formula of a compound in which the subscripts
give the actual number of each element in the formula.
Calculating Empirical Formula
• What if a percent composition is given. How do we find the empirical
formula?
• Example: Chemical analysis of a liquid shows that it is 60.00% C, 13.40%
H, and 26.60% O by mass. Calculate the empirical formula of this
substance.
– Step 1: Convert to grams
• Assume you have a 100.00 g sample, and convert percentages to
grams.
– 60.00% Carbon is the same as 60.00 g of C
– 13.40% of Hydrogen is the same as 13.40 g of H
– 26.60% of Oxygen is the same as 26.60 g of O
Step 2: Convert grams to moles
Step 3: Divide each by the smallest decimal (in moles) to get
whole numbers. * These numbers will be the subscripts.
60.00 g C 1 mole C
= 5.00 mole C ÷ 1.66 = 3.01 mol C
12.01 g C
Round those
answers to the
nearest whole
13.40 g H 1 mole H number and use
= 13.27mole H ÷ 1.66 = 7.99 mol H them as the
1.01 g H
Subscripts on the
final Empirical
Formula.
26.60 g O 1 mole O
= 1.66 mole O ÷ 1.66 = 1.00 mol C
16.00 g O
THE EMPIRICAL FORMULA
Of the three calculated numbers, this is the
WOULD BE:
smallest decimal in moles, so you divide all
C3H8O1 C3H8O
the other decimals and itself by that number.
Example 2 for Empirical Formulas
• A compound consists of 72.2% magnesium and 27.8% nitrogen by mass.
What is the empirical formula?
• Step 1: Convert to grams : 72.2 % Mg = 72.2 g Mg 27.8 % N = 27.8 g N
• Step 2: Convert grams to moles
72.2 g Mg 1 mole Mg
= 2.97 mole Mg = 1.49 mole Mg
24.31 g Mg
27.9 g N 1 mole N
= 1.99 mole N ÷ 1.99
14.01 g N
Step 3: Divide each by the smallest decimal (in moles) to get
whole numbers.
• Still not whole numbers. We have to get rid of the 1.49. If we multiply by 1
we get the same number of course. So, lets multiply by 2 and see what
happens. Remember whatever we do to one side we do it to the other.
1.00 mole N x 2 = 2 mole N
THE EMPIRICAL FORMULA WOULD BE:
Mg3N2
How do we determine the molecular formula from the
empirical formula?
• Example: The empirical formula for a compound is P2O5.
Its experimental molar mass is 284 g/mol. Determine the
molecular formula of the compound.
• Step 1: Find the molar mass of the empirical formula.
• 2 mol P x 30.97 g = 61.94 g P
• 5 mol O x 16.00g = + 80.00 g O
141.94 g/mol
Step 2: Molar mass of a compound divided by the molar mass of
empirical formula.
Experimental molar mass of compound
Molar mass of empirical formula
284 g/mol
= 2.00
141.94 g/ mol
YOUR MOLECULAR FORMULA IS:
P4O10
This can be summarized with the
following steps
1. Percent to mass
2. Mass to mole
3. Divide by small
4. Multiply 'til whole
How to Find Molecular Formulas
1.Calculate the mass of the empirical formula
(which you have already found or it will
be given to you )
2.Divide the known molar mass by the mass
of the empirical formula.
3.Multiply that number by the subscripts of
the empirical formula to get the
subscripts for the molecular formula.
Seatwork # 4: Empirical and
Molecular Formula
Determine the Empirical Formula for each of the following. Use the
calculated empirical formula to calculate the molecular formula.
1. A sample compound with a molar mass of 34.00g/mol is found to
consist of 0.44g H and 6.92g O. Calculate both empirical and
molecular formulas.
2. A compound has a molar mass of 456.18 g/mol and consists of 3.0 g of
Fe and 4.81g of S. Calculate both empirical and molecular formulas
3. A compound consists of 36.48% Na, 25.41% S, and 38.11% O. It
has a molar mass of 252.10 g/mol. Calculate both empirical and
molecular formulas.
