STM 005: General Chemistry 1

SAS Module #11

Name: __________________________________________ Class number: _________________

Section: _________ Schedule: ______________________ Date: _________________________

Lesson title: Deriving the Chemical Formulas of Substances Materials:

Lesson Objectives: SAS

I can determine the empirical formula of a compound from References:

its composition by mass
“Conceptual and Functional
I can derive the molecular formula of a compound from its Chemistry Modular Approach”
empirical formula by Padolina, Ph.D.Et.Al.,
Copyright 2010 by Vibal
1.
Publishing House, Inc.

http://www.cabrillo.edu/~arom
ero/CHEM_1A/1A_Handouts/E
mpirical%20Formulas.pdf

Productivity Tip:
-- ““BE HERE NOW”. It is important that you are not doing anything aside from focusing on this
activity. Set aside other activities that you have – playing, gadgets, for you to focus on certain
activity.

A. LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW
1) Introduction (2 mins)
Great day everyone! Ever wondered how we know the formula of a chemical compound? In this
lesson, we will learn how to determine the empirical formula and the steps in calculating it.

2) Activity 1: What I Know Chart, part 1 (3 mins)

Try answering the questions below by writing your ideas under the first column What I Know. It’s
okay if you write key words or phrases that you think are related to the questions.

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 STM 005: General Chemistry 1
SAS Module #11

Name: __________________________________________ Class number: _________________

Section: _________ Schedule: ______________________ Date: _________________________

What I Know Questions: What I Learned

1 What is empirical formula?

2 What is molecular formula?

B. MAIN LESSON
1) Activity 2: Pre-Printed Content Notes (13 mins)

Molecular formulas describe the exact number and type of atoms in a single molecule of a compound. The
constituent elements are represented by their chemical symbols, and the number of atoms of each element
present in each molecule is shown as a subscript following that element’s symbol. The molecular formula
expresses information about the proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound, using a
single line of chemical element symbols and numbers. Sometimes it also includes other symbols, such as
parentheses, dashes, brackets, and plus (+) and minus (–) signs.

For organic compounds, carbon and hydrogen are listed as the first elements in the molecular formula, and
they are followed by the remaining elements in alphabetical order. For example, for butane, the molecular
formula is C4H10. For ionic compounds, the cation precedes the anion in the molecular formula. For example,
the molecular formula of sodium fluoride is NaF.

A molecular formula is not a chemical name, and it contains no words. Although a molecular formula may imply
certain simple chemical structures, it is not the same as a full chemical structural formula. Molecular formulas
are more limiting than chemical names and structural formulas.

Empirical and Molecular Formulas

The simplest types of chemical formulas are called empirical formulas, which indicate the ratio of each element
in the molecule. The empirical formula is the simplest whole number ratio of all the atoms in a molecule. For
example:

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 STM 005: General Chemistry 1
SAS Module #11

Name: __________________________________________ Class number: _________________

Section: _________ Schedule: ______________________ Date: _________________________

 The molecular formula for glucose is C 6H12O6. The molecular formula indicates the exact number of
atoms in the molecule.
 The empirical formula expresses the smallest whole number ratio of the atoms in the element. In this
case, the empirical formula of glucose is CH2O.

To convert between empirical and molecular formulas, the empirical formula can be multiplied by a whole
number to reach the molecular formula. In this case, the empirical formula would be multiplied by 6 to get to
the molecular formula.

Examples of Empirical and Molecular Formulas:

 The compound dichlorine hexoxide has an empirical formula ClO3 and the molecular formula Cl2O6
 The compound hydrogen peroxide has the empirical formula HO and the molecular formula H2O2

Empirical Formula Definition

The empirical formula of a compound is the simplest whole number ratio of each type of atom in a compound.
It can be the same as the compound's molecular formula, but not always. An empirical formula can be
calculated from information about the mass of each element in a compound or from the percentage
composition.

Calculation of an Empirical Formula

To calculate the empirical formula, you must first determine the relative masses of the various elements
present. You can either use mass data in grams or percent composition. For percent composition, we assume
the total percent of a compound is equal to 100% and the percent composition is the same in grams. For
example, the total mass of the compound is 100 grams. If a compound contained 68% carbon, 9% hydrogen,
and 23% oxygen, we would assume 68 grams of carbon, 9 grams of hydrogen, and 23 grams of oxygen.

The steps for determining the empirical formula of a compound are as follows:
Step 1: Obtain the mass of each element present in grams
Element % = mass in g = m
Step 2: Determine the number of moles of each type of atom present
m/atomic mass = Molar amount (M)
Step 3: Divide the number of moles of each element by the smallest number of moles
M / least M value = Atomic Ratio (R)
Step 4: Convert numbers to whole numbers. This set of whole numbers are the subscripts in the
empirical formula.
R * whole number = Empirical Formula
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 STM 005: General Chemistry 1
SAS Module #11

Name: __________________________________________ Class number: _________________

Section: _________ Schedule: ______________________ Date: _________________________

Empirical and Molecular Formula

The empirical formula of a compound gives the simplest whole- number ratio of the elements in the
compound. It is the lowest whole number ratio of atoms in a compound.

The molecular formula of a compound gives the number of atoms of each element present in one molecule
of the compound and is always an integer multiple of the empirical formula. It is the true number of atoms
of each element in the formula of a compound.

Molecular formula= (empirical formula) n

Molecular formula= C6H6= (CH)6
Empirical formula= CH

Empirical Formula Determination

1. Base calculation on 100 grams of compound and determine moles of each element in 100 grams of
compound.
2. Divide each value of moles by the smallest of the values.
3. Multiply each number by an integer to obtain all whole numbers.

Finding the Molecular Formula

1. Find the formula mass
2. Divide the molecular mass by the mass given by the empirical formula
3. Multiply the empirical formula by this number to get the molecular formula

2) Activity 3: Skill-building Activities

Directions: Identify whether the following formula is empirical (EF) or molecular (MF). Write your answer
on the blank provided.
Ex.
H2C2O4 MF E. CH2O ____ J. C4H5N2O ____
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 STM 005: General Chemistry 1
SAS Module #11

Name: __________________________________________ Class number: _________________

Section: _________ Schedule: ______________________ Date: _________________________

HCO2 EF C6H12O6 ____ C8H10N4O2 ____

A. C2H6 ____ F. CH ____ K. C4H10 ____

CH3 ____ C6H6 ____ C2H5 ____

B. P4O10 ____ G. CH2 ____ L. C4H9 ____

P2O5 ____ C6H12 ____ C8H18 ____

C. C5H11 ____ H. H2O2 ____ M. N2O4 ____

C10H22 ____ HO ____ NO2 ____

D. C3H6O ____ I. BH3 ____ N. C2H2 ____

C6H18O3 ____ B2H6 ____ CH ____

Check your work using the Key to Corrections

3) Activity 4: What I Know Chart, part 2 (2 mins)

Go back to Activity 1 because it’s time to answer the questions in the What I Learned chart. Log in
your answers in third column of the table. Let’s see if you have new knowledge to input.

4) Activity 5: Check for Understanding (5 mins)

Directions: Calculate the following. Write your final answer on the blank provided.

What is the empirical formula of a compound containing 70.19% lead, 8.14% carbon and 21.67% oxygen?
Given: % lead= 70.19% Find: empirical formula
%carbon = 8.14%
%oxygen = 21.67%
Solution:

Step 1: Assume that the sample is 100 g so that the given percentage of each element is the mass in
grams of the element.

Step 2: Calculate the number of moles of each element using the formula:

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 STM 005: General Chemistry 1
SAS Module #11

Name: __________________________________________ Class number: _________________

Section: _________ Schedule: ______________________ Date: _________________________

Step 3: Get the ratio of the elements by dividing the calculated moles by the smallest quantity.

Check your work using the Key to Corrections

C. LESSON WRAP-UP
1) Activity 6: Thinking about Learning (5 mins)

Congratulations for finishing this module! Shade the number of the module that you finished.

My Work Tracker: Your are done with session! Lets track your progress:
FIRST QUARTER SECOND QUARTER
Ptask Q1 Ptask Q2
Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

b) Think about learning by filling up your “My Learning Tracker”. Write the learning targets, your
scores, and learning experience for the session.
Date Learning Target/Topic Scores Action Plan

What module# did you do? What
What’s the date
were the learning targets? What
today?
activities did you do?
What contributed to the quality of your performance today?
What were your scores in
What will you do next session to maintain your performance or
the activities?
improve it?

FAQs
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 STM 005: General Chemistry 1
SAS Module #11

Name: __________________________________________ Class number: _________________

Section: _________ Schedule: ______________________ Date: _________________________

Here is another sample problem.

If the empirical formula of the compound is CH2O and its molar mass is 181 g, what is its molecular
formula?

Given: empirical formula= CH2O, molar mass CH2O= 181 g

Find: molecular formula

Solution:
Step 1: Get the empirical formula mass (empirical formula: CH2O)
Mass C= 1 x 12.01 g = 12.01 g
Mass H= 2 x 1.01 g = 2.02 g
Mass O= 1 x 16.00 g = 16.00 g
---------------
30.03 g

Step 2: Get the value of n, where n is the multiplier of the subscripts of the empirical formula:
molar mass 181 g
n= n= =6
empirical mass 30.03 g

Step 3: Derive the molecular formula using,

Molecular formula= empirical formula x n
Molecular formula= (CH2O)6 Therefore, the molecular formula is C6H12O6

Key to corrections

Activity 3
Directions: Identify whether the following formula is empirical (EF) or molecular (MF). Write your answer
on the blank provided.

Ex.
H2C2O4 MF E. CH2O EF J. C4H5N2O EF
HCO2 EF C6H12O6 MF C8H10N4O2 MF

A. C2H6 MF F. CH EF K. C4H10 MF
CH3 EF C6H6 MF C2H5 EF
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 STM 005: General Chemistry 1
SAS Module #11

Name: __________________________________________ Class number: _________________

Section: _________ Schedule: ______________________ Date: _________________________

B. P4O10 MF G. CH2 EF L. C4H9 EF

P2O5 EF C6H12 MF C8H18 MF

C. C5H11 EF H. H2O2 MF M. N2O4 MF

C10H22 MF HO EF NO2 EF

D. C3H6O EF I. BH3 EF N. C2H2 MF

C6H18O3 MF B2H6 MF CH EF

Activity 5
Solution:

Step 1: Assume that the sample is 100 g so that the given percentage of each element is the mass in
grams of the element.
Pb= 70.19 g C= 8.14 g O= 21.67 g

Step 2: Calculate the number of moles of each element using the formula:
mass of element
Mole of element=
molar mass element

70.19 g 8.14 g
Mole Pb= = 0.339 mol Mole C= = 0.678 mol
207.19 g /mol 12.01 g/mol
21.67 g
Mole O= = 1.35 mol
16.00 g /mol

Step 3: Get the ratio of the elements by dividing the calculated moles by the smallest quantity.
0.339 mol 0.678 mol 1.35 mol
Pb= =1 C= =2 O= =4
0.339 mol 0.339 mol 0.339 mol

The Empirical Formula is: PbC2O4

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