UNIT 6 – Molecules and Ions

SELF LEARNING MODULE

College/Department :
Course Code : Chem 1
Course Title : General Chemistry

Topic
Chemical Formula

Introduction

A Chemical compound is a pure substance made up of atoms of two or more elements

joined together by chemical bond. In any compound, the atoms combine in fixed whole
number ratios. In any such combination, the resultant substance behaves differently from the
atoms alone. In many compounds, atoms combine to form discrete particles called molecules.
Molecules can be broken down into their constituent atoms, but the resulting collection of
atoms no longer behaves like the original molecule. We’ve seen how we can use atomic
symbols as shorthand notation to designate atoms. The same idea can be extended to describe
the composition of their molecules or extended compunds in a simple symbolic
representation.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the learner should be able to:
a. explain the difference between a molecular formula and an empirical formula;
b. determine the difference between a molecular formula and empirical formula;
c. determine the number of atoms in a molecule from its chemical formula; and
d. obtain a correct chemical formula from a line drawing of an organic molecule.

Discussion

Chemical Formula

A chemical compound is represented symbolically by its chemical formula. For

example, water is represented by H2O, carbon dioxide by CO2, methane (natural gas) by CH4,
and aspirin by C9H8O4. The formula H2O, for instance, describes a substance containing two
hydrogen atoms for every oxygen atom. Similarly, the compound CH4 contain one atom of
carbon for every four atoms of hydrogen.

Often, two or more atoms are able to join tightly together so that they behave as a
single particle called a molecule. If the atoms are of different elements, as in water (H2O) or
methane (CH4), it is a molecule of a compound. If the atoms of the same element, it is a
molecule of an element. Some common and important elements that occur in nature as
molecules composed of two atoms are, hydrogen, H2; oxygen, O2, nitrogen, N2; fluorine, F2;
chlorine, Cl2; bromine, Br2; and iodine, I2.

A chemical equation is written to show the chemical changes that occur during a
chemical reaction. In a sense, it's a " before and after" description of the reaction. For
example, the equation

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 UNIT 6 – Molecules and Ions

describes the reaction between Zinc (Zn) and Sulfur (S) to produce zinc sulfide (ZnS),
a substance used on the inner surface of TV screens. The substances on the left of the arrow
are called reactants and are the chemical present before the reaction takes place. Those on
the right of the arrow are called the products and are the substance present after the reaction
is over. (In the reaction above, there is only one product). The arrow is read as "react to yield"
or simply "yield". Thus, the equation above can be read as "zinc plus sulfur react to yield zinc
sulfide" or "zinc plus sulfur yield zinc sulfide", or "zinc recta with sulfur to yield zinc
sulfide."

There are four rules that allow us to write most of formulas that we will need.

Rule [1] : Indicate the type of atoms in the substance by their atomic symbols.

Rule [2] : The number of each atom in the compound is indicated by a subscript to the
right of the atomic symbol

Rule [3] : Groups of atoms can be designated by using parentheses. Subscripts outside
these parentheses mean that all atoms enclosed in the parentheses are
multiplied by the value indicated in the subscript.

Rule [4] : Water molecules associated with certain compounds called hydrates are
indicated separately from the rest of the compound.

Sample Problem 6.5.1

PROBLEM: We cannot generally produce a polymer by simply mixing a large

sample of the desired monomers. Instead, additional compounds called
initiators or catalysts are almost always needed to start a polymerization.
One polymerization catalyst is diethylaluminum chloride, Al(C2H5)2Cl.
How many of each type of atom are in a molecule of this compound?

STRATEGY: The subscripts in a formula indicate how many atoms of each type are in
the molecules. The parentheses designate a group of atoms, and the
subscript associated with the parentheses multiplies each atom in the
group.

SOLUTION: In each molecule of Al(C2H5)2Cl, there is one aluminum atom, one

chlorine atom, and two groups of C2H5. Each of the C2H5 groups contains
two carbon atoms and five hydrogen atoms. We multiply those numbers
by two because there are two C2H5 groups present; so we have four
carbon atoms and ten hydrogen atoms.

Types of Chemical formula

There are different kinds of chemical formulas, and each conveys certain kinds of
information. This include the elemental composition, the relative numbers of each kind of
atom present, the actual members of atoms of each kind in a molecule of the substance, or
structure of a molecule of the substance.

A formula that uses the smallest set of whole-number-subscripts to specify the relative
number of atoms of each element present in a formula unit is called simplest formula. It is
also called an empirical formula because it is normally derived from the results of some
experimental analysis. The formulas NaCl, H2O, and CH2 are empirical formulas.

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 UNIT 6 – Molecules and Ions
A formula that states the actual number of each kind of atom found in a molecule is
called a molecular formula. H2O is a molecular formula (as well as an empirical formula)
since a molecule of water contains 2 atoms of H and 1 atom of O. The formula C2H4 is a
molecular formula for a substance (ethylene) containing 2 atoms of carbon and 4 atoms of
hydrogen. The simplest formula CH2 is not unique to C2H4, however. A substance whose
empirical formula is CH2 could have as a molecular formula CH2, C2H4, C3H8, and so on.

A third type of formula is a structural formula, for example,

In a structure formula the dashes between different atomic symbols represent the
"chemical bonds" that bind the atoms to each other in the molecule. A structural formula
gives us information about the way in which the atoms in a molecule are linked together and
allow us to write the molecular and empirical formulas. Thus, for acetic shown above, we can
write its molecular formula (C2H4O2) and its empirical formula (CH2O).

 To calculate an empirical formula, we need to know the mass of each of the elements
in a given mass of the compound.

Problems on calculating an empirical formula

Sample Problem 6.5.2

PROBLEM: A sample of a brown-colored gas that is a major air pollutant is found to
contain 2.34 g of N and 5.34 g of O. What is the simplest formula of the
compound?

SOLUTION: We know that

Therefore,

We might write our formula N0.167O0.334. However, since the formula

should have meaning on a molecular level where whole numbers of atoms
are combined, the subscripts must be integers. If we divide each subscript
by the smallest one we obtain

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 UNIT 6 – Molecules and Ions
Example on calculating an empirical formula from percentage composition

Sample Problem 6.5.3

PROBLEM: what is the empirical formula of a compound composed of 43.7% P and
56.3% O by weight?

SOLUTION: We imagine having a 100-g sample of the compound. From the analysis,
this sample would contain 43.7 g P and 56.3 g O (notice that the percent
becomes grams of compound).We know that
1 mol P = 31.0g P
1mol O = 16.0 g O
We convert the masses to moles

The formula is

Sample Problem 6.5.4

PROBLEM: 1.025-g sample of a compound that contains carbon and hydrogen was
burned in oxygen to give carbon dioxide and water vapor as products.
These products were trapped separately and weighed. It was found that
3.007 g of CO2 and 1.845 g H2O were formed in this reaction. What is the
empirical formula of the compound?
SOLUTION: In 1 mol CO2 (44.01 g) , there is 1 mol (12.01 g) of C. In the 3.007 g of
CO2, therefore, the mass of carbon is

Similarly, in 1 mol of H2O (18.02 g), there are 2 mol (2.016 g) of H, so

the mass of H in the 1.845 g of H2O is

Now we have the masses of C and H in the sample, so we can calculate

the number of moles of each,

and

Now we determine the subscripts:

C0.06833H0.2048

Dividing by the smallest value (o.06833)

gives C1H2.977. The empirical formula, therefore, is CH3.

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 UNIT 6 – Molecules and Ions
Problem on determining the empirical formula from a chemical analysis

Sample Problem 6.5.4

PROBLEM: A 0.1000-g sample of ethyl alcohol, known to contain only carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen, was burned completely in oxygen to form the
products CO2 and H2O. These products were trapped separately and
weighed; 0.1910 g CO2 and 0.1172 g H2O were found. What is the
empirical formula of this compound?

SOLUTION: First we calculate the mass of carbon and hydrogen in the CO2 and H2O.

When we add the masses of C and H, we get a total of 0.06523 g, so the

mass of oxygen in the sample must have been
Mass of O = (mass of sample)- (total mass of C and H)
= 0.1000 g – 0.06523 g = 0.0348 g O
Now we convert the masses of C, H, and O to moles of each of the
element. Thus, for carbon we have

Similar calculation for other two elements give 0.0130 mol H and 0.00218
mol O.

This empirical formula is therefore

Dividing we get C1.99H5.96O1, which rounds to C2H6O.

It is possible for more than one compound to have the same empirical
formula.
For example, the molecules C2H4, C3H6, and C5H10 all have a 1-to-2 ratio
of carbon to hydrogen atoms and the empirical formula CH2
Molecular formula = ( Empirical formula) X n

Example on determining the molecular formula of a compound

Table 6.5.1 : Molecular masses as multiple of the empirical

formula mass
Fomula Molecular mass
CH2 14.0 = 1 x 14.0
C2H4 28.0 = 2 x 14.0
C3H8 42.0 = 3 x 14.0
C4H8 56.0 = 4 x 14.0
CnH2n n x 14.0

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 UNIT 6 – Molecules and Ions

Sample Problem 6.5.5

PROBLEM: A colorless liquid used in rocket engines, whose empirical formula is
NO2, has a molecular mass of 92.0. What is its molecular formula?

SOLUTION:

The empirical mass of NO2 is 46.0. the number of times the empirical
formula, NO2, occurs in the compound is

The molecular formula is the (NO2)2 = N2O4 (dinitrogen tetroxide). N2O4 is

the preferred answer because (NO2)2 implies a knowledge of the structure
of the molecule (i.e., that two NO2 units are somehow joined together).

Reflection/Valuing

Guide Question:

A compound with the rather imposing name 2,2’-azo-bis-isobutyrylnitrile is used to

initiate the growth of some polymers, including poly(vinyl chloride). If the molecular formula
is C8H12N4, how many of each type of atom are in a molecule of the compound? What is the
Empirical Formula of this compound?

Suggested Readings

Smith, Janice G. (2010). General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry. The McGraw Hill
Companies, Inc. USA.

References/Additional Resources:

Brown, Larry, ET. Al. (2013). Chemistry for Engineering. – 2nd ed. Cengage Learning Asia.

Silberberg, Martin S. (2007). Principles of general chemistry I Martin S. Silberberg. - 1st ed.
McGraw Hill Companies. USA.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295076524

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 UNIT 6 – Molecules and Ions

Exercises

NAME _______________________________ SECTION/COURSE ________________

Exercises
Chemical Formula

I. Write the empirical formula for the following compounds.

1) C6H6
2) C8H18
3) WO2
4) C2H6O2
5) X39Y13

II. Answer the following question. Show your solution.

1. A compound with an empirical formula of C4H4O and a molar mass of 136 grams per
mole. What is the molecular formula of this compound?

2. A compound with an empirical formula of CFBrO and a molar mass of 254.7 grams
per mole. What is the molecular formula of this compound?

3. A well-known reagent in analytical chemistry, dimethylglyoxime, has the empirical

formula C2H4NO. If its molar mass is 116.1 g/mol, what is the molecular formula of
the compound?

4. A certain blue solid contains 36.84% N. What is the empirical formula of this
compound?

5. A sample of indium chloride weighing 0.5000 g is found to contain 0.2404 g of

chlorine. What is the empirical formula of the indium compound?

6. An unknown compound was found to have a percent composition as follows: 47.0 %

potassium, 14.5 % carbon, and 38.5 % oxygen. What is its empirical formula? If the
true molar mass of the compound is 166.22 g/mol, what is its molecular formula?

7. Rubbing alcohol was found to contain 60.0 % carbon, 13.4 % hydrogen, and the
remaining mass was due to oxygen. What is the empirical formula of rubbing alcohol?

8. Determine the empirical and molecular formula of a compound composed of 18.24 g

Carbon, 0.51 g Hydrogen, and 16.91 g Fluorine has a molar mass 562.0 g/mol.

9. A compound with a molar mass of 544.0 g/mol is made up of 26.5 grams Carbon,
2.94 grams Hydrogen, and 70.6 grams Oxygen. What is its empirical and molecular?

10. The percent composition of an unknown substance is 75.42 % Carbon, 6.63 %

Hydrogen, 8.38 % Nitrogen, and 9.57 % Oxygen. If its molar mass is 334.0 g/mol
what is its empirical and molecular formula?

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