Key Stage 4
Meaning
An empirical formula is the simplest ratio of the different types of atom in a compound.
About Empirical Formulae
- The empirical formula of a compound may not be the same as the chemical formula:
- Ethane - Chemical Formula: C2H6 Empirical Formula: CH3
- Ethene - Chemical Formula: C2H4 Empirical Formula: CH2
- Empirical formulae are calculated from the amount of atoms in a chemical reaction.
- The number of atoms can be found if you know the mass of different elements and the relative atomic mass of the elements in the reaction.