Test #1 Question

[Jessica Urzua-1H]

On Test #1, we were asked to find the empirical and molecular formula from chemical structures. Can someone please explain their process on figuring this out based solely on the structure? Any help is appreciated!!

[Kuldeep Gill 1H]

You count how many of each element there is and put that number as the subscript then you do that for all of the elements in that structure that would be the molecular formula and then if you can simplify the subscripts that becomes your empirical formula. Hope that helps!

[Endri Dis 1J]

Yeah, I found it easy to count the number of atoms there were for the molecular formula and then divide by a common whole number to get the empirical formula of the model.

[breannasung_1K]

You have to count the number of atoms there are for each element and make those numbers subscripts for their associated elements (this will give you the molecular formula). And to find the empirical formula, you simplify the subscripts.

[Jennifer 1G]

Can someone please tell me what they got for the first problem on this question. I thought I got it right, but it was marked wrong. (Either the molecular or empirical is fine since I can find out the other one). Thank you!

[Nandhini_2K]

Can someone please tell me what they got for the first problem on this question. I thought I got it right, but it was marked wrong. (Either the molecular or empirical is fine since I can find out the other one). Thank you!

I got that question marked down too because I missed an Oxygen. I believe the right molecular formula is
C10 N2 H12 O

[Alicia Beebe]

I am also very confused if it matters the way they are connected. Is it just counting up the atoms and that's it? It seemed like some where bound differently, making different structures, so I thought that would result in a different formula.

[JulietOttenberg-1C]

For our test it didn't matter how they were connected, and I don't think this ever really matters for empirical formulas. You had to count the amount of each atom in the structure to find the molecular formula. To find the empirical formula, you use the smallest version of that same ratio of atoms. For example, the molecular formula of glucose is C6 H12 O6, and its empirical formula is C H2 O.