Which pair of compounds has the same empirical formula?

• A. C2H6 and C3H8
• B. C6H12O6 and C2H6O
• C. CH4 and C2H2
• D. C2H4 and C3H6

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms of each element in a compound.
2. For each compound, determine the ratio of atoms by dividing the number of atoms of each element by their greatest common divisor (GCD).
3. For C2H6, divide the subscripts by 2 to get the empirical formula: C1H3 (or CH3). For C3H8, divide the subscripts by 1 (since 3 and 8 have no common divisor other than 1), so empirical formula remains C3H8.
4. For C6H12O6, divide the subscripts by 6 to get C1H2O1 (or CH2O). For C2H6O, divide the subscripts by 1 (since 2, 6, and 1 have no common divisor other than 1), so empirical formula remains C2H6O.
5. Compare the empirical formulas of the pairs to identify which pair has the same empirical formula. For example, C2H4 and C3H6 both simplify to C1H2 (CH2), indicating they share the same empirical formula.