Wheatmore Science
Wheatmore Science
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      • Static vs. Current Electricity
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      • Ohm's Law
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  • Chemistry
    • Atoms & Ions >
      • Atoms, Isotopes, & Ions
      • Electron Configuration
      • Bohr Model
      • Alpha, Beta, & Gamma Decay
    • Periodic Table >
      • Groups
      • Trends
    • Bonding >
      • Ionic, Covalent, & Metallic Bonds
      • Inter- vs. Intra- Forces
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    • Phase Changes >
      • Heating & Cooling Curves
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  • Science Teachers
  • Home
  • Earth/Environmental Science
    • Earth-Sun-Moon System >
      • Earth's Motions
      • Rotation and Revolution
      • Nuclear Fusion
      • The Sun Powers Life
    • Lithosphere >
      • The Rock Cycle
      • Plate Tectonics
      • Weathering & Erosion
      • Soil Formation
      • Geohazards
    • Humans vs. Lithosphere >
      • Human Impact on the Lithosphere
      • Mining For Energy
    • Hydrosphere >
      • Water Currents & Heat Transfer
      • Surface and Groundwater
    • Humans vs. Hydrosphere >
      • Water Availability
      • Water Quality
    • Atmosphere >
      • Structure and Composition
      • Air Masses and Fronts
      • Cyclonic Storms
      • Predict the Weather
      • Air Quality
    • Humans vs. Atmosphere >
      • Weather vs. Climate
      • Natural Climate Change
      • Human Impact on Climate Change
      • Effect on Earth's Systems
    • Biomes >
      • Biomes of Earth
      • Biodiversity
      • Human Impact on the Biosphere
    • Sustainability >
      • Alternative Energy Technologies
      • Sustainable Agriculture and Aquaculture
      • Population Growth
      • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
  • Biology
    • Cell Structure and Function >
      • Cell Organelles
      • Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic
      • Cell Specialization
    • Living Cells >
      • Homeostasis
      • Osmosis & Diffusion
      • Plasma Membrane Features
      • Active vs. Passive Transport
      • Cell Cycle
      • Mitosis
      • Unicelluar Organisms
    • Ecology >
      • Cycles
      • Adaptations
      • Ecological Relationships
      • Population Size
    • Human Impact on the Environment >
      • Human Activities
      • Conservation Strategies
    • Structure and Function of DNA >
      • DNA
      • Genotype vs. Phenotype
      • DNA→RNA​→Protein
      • Mutations
    • Genetic Traits >
      • Meiosis (Sexual Reproduction)
      • Punnett Squares
      • Environmental Factors
    • Biotechnology >
      • DNA Fingerprinting
      • Transgenic Organisms
      • Ethical Issues
    • Natural Selection >
      • Evidence
      • Selection Causes
    • Classification >
      • Classification
      • Dichotomous Keys
      • Phylogenetic Trees
    • Biomolecules >
      • Four Types of Biomolecules
      • Similarities in all Organisms
      • Enzymes
    • Energy >
      • Respiration & Photosynthesis
      • Active Transport
      • Anaerobic vs. Aerobic
  • Physical Science
    • Motion >
      • Frame of Reference
      • Distance vs. Displacement
      • Speed vs. Velocity
      • Acceleration
      • Momentum
    • Force >
      • Gravitational Force
      • Types of Friction
      • Newton's First Law
      • Newton's Second Law
      • Newton's Third Law
    • Properties of Matter >
      • Homogeneous or Heterogeneous
      • Pure Substance or Mixture
      • Element or Compound
      • Metals, Nonmetals, & Metalloids
      • Solution, Colloid, or Suspension?
      • Phases of Matter
      • Physical vs. Chemical
      • Bohr Model & Dot Diagrams
    • Chemical Bonds & Reactions >
      • Periodic Table Groups
      • Ionic, Covalent, or Metallic?
      • Chemical Formulas & Names
      • Balancing Equations
      • Reaction Types
      • Acids & Bases
    • Radioactivity >
      • Alpha, Beta, & Gamma Decay
      • Fission vs. Fusion
      • Half-Life
    • Energy >
      • Thermal Energy
      • Potential vs. Kinetic Energy
      • Conservation of Energy
      • Force & Work
      • Work & Power
      • Simple Machines
    • Waves >
      • Wave Features
      • Wave Velocity Equation
      • Mechanical, Electromagnetic, & Surface Waves
      • Transverse vs. Compressional
      • Reflection, Refraction, Diffraction, and Interference
    • Electricity & Magnetism >
      • Static vs. Current Electricity
      • Series vs. Parallel
      • Ohm's Law
      • Power Equation
      • Factors Affecting Resistance
      • Permanent Magnets
      • Electromagnets
      • Everyday Magnets
  • Chemistry
    • Atoms & Ions >
      • Atoms, Isotopes, & Ions
      • Electron Configuration
      • Bohr Model
      • Alpha, Beta, & Gamma Decay
    • Periodic Table >
      • Groups
      • Trends
    • Bonding >
      • Ionic, Covalent, & Metallic Bonds
      • Inter- vs. Intra- Forces
      • Chemical Names & Formulas
      • Network Compounds
    • Phase Changes >
      • Heating & Cooling Curves
      • Specific Heat & Latent Heat
      • Phase Diagrams
      • Gas Laws
    • Chemical Reactions >
      • Energy Change
      • Chemical Change
      • Reaction Types & Balancing
      • Stoichiometry
      • Empirical, Molecular, & Percent Composition
    • Rate & Equilibrium >
      • Reaction Rates
      • Equilibrium
      • Equilibrium Shifts
    • Solutions >
      • Acids & Bases
      • pH, Hydronium, & Hydroxide
      • Molarity & Dilutions
      • Titration
      • Solution Properties
      • The Solution Process
      • Solubility Diagrams
  • Science Teachers

Empirical formula, Molecular formula, & Percent Composition​

Percent Composition

Percent composition is a useful tool in the real world for determining the identities of substances. Finding mass percent from the chemical formula is explained in the video below.  In the lab, a process called elemental analysis would be used to find the mass percentage and then the empirical formula process in the next section on this page would be used to find the formula.

Empirical Formula

The empirical formula is the lowest whole number ratio of elements within a compound.  For binary ionic compounds, the empirical formula is the chemical formula; however, for some ionic compounds like sodium oxalate, the empirical formula is not the chemical formula.  The process of finding empirical formula is very similar to the reverse of finding the percent composition. The first video shows how to get the empirical formula if given percent composition. The process is the same if you are given grams of each substance. The second video shows how empirical formula is related to molecular formula.

Molecular Formula

Molecules contain a certain number of each type of atom.  Some molecules have a formula that is a whole number multiple of their empirical formula.  Finding the molecular formula of a molecule will involve dividing the molar mass of the molecular formula by the molar mass of the empirical formula to find the whole-number multiple that will transform the empirical formula into the molecular formula. The first video below shows conceptually how to find the molecular formula and the second video shows how to complete a calculation to find the molecular formula if the empirical formula and molecular mass are known.
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