Multiple Choice
Which of the following is an empirical formula?
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3. Chemical Reactions
Empirical Formula
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Which statement is true about an empirical formula?
A
It is always identical to the molecular formula.
B
It includes information about the compound's structure.
C
It represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound.
D
It always shows the exact number of atoms of each element in a molecule.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that an empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms of each element in a compound, not necessarily the exact number of atoms in a molecule.
Recognize that the molecular formula shows the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule, which can be a multiple of the empirical formula.
Note that the empirical formula does not provide information about the compound's structure; it only gives the ratio of elements.
Realize that the empirical formula is not always identical to the molecular formula because the molecular formula can be a multiple of the empirical formula.
Therefore, the true statement about an empirical formula is that it represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound.
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