Which one of the following molecular formulas is also an empirical formula?

• A. C_6H_{12}O_6
• B. C_4H_{10}
• C. CH_2O
• D. C_2H_4

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the difference between a molecular formula and an empirical formula. A molecular formula shows the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule, while an empirical formula shows the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in the compound.
2. Examine each given molecular formula and determine if it can be simplified to a smaller whole-number ratio of atoms. For example, for C_6H_{12}O_6, divide the subscripts by their greatest common divisor to find the simplest ratio.
3. For C_6H_{12}O_6, divide each subscript by 6, resulting in C_1H_2O_1, which is CH_2O. This means CH_2O is the empirical formula for C_6H_{12}O_6.
4. Check the other formulas: C_4H_{10} cannot be simplified further because 4 and 10 do not share a common divisor other than 1, so C_4H_{10} is already an empirical formula.
5. Compare the options and identify which formula is already in its simplest form (empirical formula). CH_2O is given as the correct answer because it represents the simplest ratio, while others can be simplified or are already empirical.