Logout Open In App
Open In App
Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, bool given in /var/www/html/web/app/themes/studypress-core-theme/template-parts/header/mobile-offcanvas.php on line 20

Chapter 2: Problem 45

What can we tell about a compound when we know the empirical formula? What additional information is conveyed by the molecular formula? By the structural formula? Explain in each case.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The empirical formula provides the simplest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound but lacks information about the exact number of atoms or the compound's structure. The molecular formula gives the actual number of atoms of each element in the compound and allows calculating the molecular weight, but it doesn't provide structural information. The structural formula conveys the most information, including the molecular formula and visual representation of the molecule's structure, allowing us to understand the compound's properties, reactivity, and chemical behavior.

Step by step solution

01

Empirical Formula

The empirical formula of a compound represents the simplest whole-number ratio of the elements present in the compound. This formula provides information about the relative number of atoms of each element in the compound, but it doesn't provide any information regarding the exact number of atoms, the molecular weight, or the structure of the compound. For example, the empirical formula for hydrogen peroxide is HO (1:1 ratio of hydrogen to oxygen), but it doesn't convey the molecule's actual structure (H2O2).
02

Molecular Formula

The molecular formula of a compound represents the actual number of atoms of each element in one molecule of the compound. This formula conveys more information than the empirical formula, as it provides the exact composition of the molecule. In addition, knowing the molecular formula allows us to calculate the molecular weight of the compound. However, the molecular formula doesn't provide any information about the structure or arrangement of the atoms in the compound. For example, the molecular formula for hydrogen peroxide is H2O2, which gives us the actual composition (2 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms).
03

Structural Formula

The structural formula of a compound represents the arrangement of atoms in the compound, as well as the type and number of chemical bonds between them. This formula provides the most information about a compound, as it includes both the molecular formula and the visual representation of the molecule's structure. The structural formula allows us to understand the compound's properties, reactivity, and overall chemical behavior. For example, the structural formula for hydrogen peroxide is \(\text{H} - \text{O} - \text{O} - \text{H}\), which shows the connectivity between the hydrogen and oxygen atoms and the presence of a single bond between each pair of atoms.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Mass spectrometry is more often applied to molecules than to atoms. We will see in Chapter 3 that the molecular weight of a molecule is the sum of the atomic weights of the atoms in the molecule. The mass spectrum of \(\mathrm{H}_{2}\) is taken under conditions that prevent decomposition into \(\mathrm{H}\) atoms. The two naturally occurring isotopes of hydrogen are \({ }^{1} \mathrm{H}\) (atomic mass \(=1.00783 \mathrm{amu}\) abundance \(99.9885 \%\) ) and \({ }^{2} \mathrm{H}\) (atomic mass \(=2.01410 \mathrm{amu}\) abundance \(0.0115 \%\) ). (a) How many peaks will the mass spectrum have? (b) Give the relative atomic masses of each of these peaks. (c) Which peak will be the largest, and which the smallest?

Using a suitable reference such as the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics or http://www.webelements.com, look up the following information for nickel: (a) the number of known isotopes, (b) the atomic masses (in amu), (c) the natural abundances of the five most abundant isotopes.

Name the following ionic compounds: (a) \(\mathrm{Li}_{2} \mathrm{O}\), (b) \(\mathrm{FeCl}_{3}\), (c) \(\mathrm{NaClO}\), (d) \(\mathrm{CaSO}_{3}\), (e) \(\mathrm{Cu}(\mathrm{OH})_{2}\), (f) \(\mathrm{Fe}\left(\mathrm{NO}_{3}\right)_{2}\), (g) \(\mathrm{Ca}\left(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{COO}\right)_{2}\), (h) \(\mathrm{Cr}_{2}\left(\mathrm{CO}_{3}\right)_{3}\), (i) \(\mathrm{K}_{2} \mathrm{CrO}_{4},(\mathbf{j})\left(\mathrm{NH}_{4}\right)_{2} \mathrm{SO}_{4}\).

(a) What isotope is used as the standard in establishing the atomic mass scale? (b) The atomic weight of boron is reported as 10.81, yet no atom of boron has the mass of \(10.81 \mathrm{amu}\). Explain.

Predict the chemical formulas of the compounds formed by the following pairs of ions: (a) \(\mathrm{Cr}^{3+}\) and \(\mathrm{Br}^{-}\), (b) \(\mathrm{Fe}^{3+}\) and \(\mathrm{O}^{2-}\), (c) \(\mathrm{Hg}_{2}{ }^{2+}\) and \(\mathrm{CO}_{3}{ }^{2-}\), (d) \(\mathrm{Ca}^{2+}\) and \(\mathrm{ClO}_{3}^{-}\), (e) \(\mathrm{NH}_{4}^{+}\)and \(\mathrm{PO}_{4}{ }^{3-}\).
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Physical Chemistry

Read Explanation

Chemical Analysis

Read Explanation

Organic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Chemistry Branches

Read Explanation

Ionic and Molecular Compounds

Read Explanation

Making Measurements

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free