GENERAL CHEMISTRY 1

QUARTER 1 – WEEK 3A: MOLECULAR FORMULA (LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS)

NAME: GICHELLE PAULA A. BALBOA SECTION: 11 – EUCLID

SCHOOL: AGUSAN DEL SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DATE: OCTOBER 9, 2021
TEACHER: MR. ACE MICHAEL B. MAGALSO

ACTIVITY 1. EMPIRICAL OR MOLECULAR?

Learning Objective: Classify chemical formulas as to empirical or molecular formula.
What you need: Activity sheet, answer sheet and pen
What to do: Analyze and classify the following chemical formulas written below as to empirical formula or molecular
formula.

1. C2H2 = MOLECULAR FORMULA 6. CH = EMPIRICAL FORMULA

2. H2O2 = MOLECULAR FORMULA 7. HO = EMPIRICAL FORMULA
3. CH2O = EMPIRICAL FORMULA 8. C6H12O6 = MOLECULAR FORMULA
4. NO2 = EMPIRICAL FORMULA 9. N2O4 = MOLECULAR FORMULA
5. NH2 = EMPIRICAL FORMULA 10. N2H4 = MOLECLAR FORMULA

ACTIVITY 2. ALL ABOUT MOLECULAR FORMULA

Learning Objective: Determine the molecular mass given the molecular formula.
What you need: Activity sheet, answer sheet and pen
What to do: Study the problems and answer what is asked. Write your answer in a separate sheet of paper.
1. Determine the molecular formula of the compound with an empirical formula of CH and a molar mass of 78.110
g/mol.

Given:
Empirical Formula = CH
Molar Mass = 78.110 g/mol
Find:
Molecular Formula

Solution:
Empirical mass: C = 1 x 12.01g/mol = 12.01g/mol
H = 1 x 1.01g/mol = 1.01g/mol
13.02g/mol
Get the ratio, x;
Molar mass 78.110g/mol
X = ——————— = —————— = 6
Empirical mass 13.02 g/mol

Molecular formula = 6 (CH)

= C6H6
2. The molar mass of glucose is 180 g/mol. Glucose is 40.03 % C, 6.67% H, and 53.3% O. Calculate its molecular
formula.

Given:
Molar mass = 180 g/mol
40.03 % C, 6.67 % H, 53.3 % O
ELEMENT MASS IN ATOMIC n = no. of elements RATIO = n / EMPIRICAL
n = mass element / atomic
GRAMS MASS mass (mol)
SMALLEST n FORMULA

C 40.03g 12.01 40.03 ÷ 12.01 = 3.33 3.33 ÷ 3.33 = 1

CH2O
H 6.67g 1.00 6.67 ÷ 1.00 = 6.67 6.67 ÷ 3.33 = 2

O 53.3g 16.00 53.3 ÷ 16.00 = 3.33 33.3 ÷ 3.33 = 1

Empirical mass = C = 1 x 12.01 = 12.01 g/mol

H = 2 x 1.01 = 2.00 g/mol
O = 1 x 16.00 = 16.00 g/mol
30.01 g/mol
Get the ratio:

Molar mass 180 g/mol

X = ——————— = —————— = 6
Empirical mass 30.01 g/mol

Molecular formula = 6 (CH2O)

= C6H12O6

3. What are the steps in determining the molecular formula?

 Calculate the empirical mass from its empirical formula by multiplying the molar mass of a compound.
 Compute the ratio (x) by dividing molar mass with the empirical mass.
 Multiply the ratio to the empirical formula to get the molecular formula.
ACTIVITY 3. SOLVE ME
Learning Objective: Calculate the molecular formula given molecular mass and percentage
composition.
What you need: Activity sheet, answer sheet and pen
What to do: Study the problems below and solve for the molecular formula. Write your answer in a separate of paper and
show your solution.

1. What is the molecular formula of the molecule with molecular mass of 120.12g/mol.
and an empirical formula of CH2O.

Given: Molecular mass – 120.12 g/mol

Empirical formula – CH2O
Find: ratio, X=?

Solution:

Molar mass
X = ——————— C = 1 x 12.0 g C / 1 mol C = 12.0 g/mol
Empirical mass
H = 2 x 1 g H / 1 mol H = 2 g/mol
120.12 g/mol
= ——————— O = 1 x 16.0 g O / 1 mol O = 16 g/mol
30 g/mol
X=4 30 g/mol
Molecular formula = 4 (CH2O)
Molecular formula = C4H8O4

2. Determine the molecular formula of the compound with a formula mass of 42.08 g/mol is found to be 85.64%
carbon and 14.36% hydrogen by mass.

Given:
Molar mass = 42.08 g/mol

ELEMENT MASS IN GRAM ATOMIC MASS # OF MOLES, n n/SMALLEST n EMPIRICAL

FORMULA

H
C 85.64g
14.36g
12
1
85.64 ÷ 12 = 7.14
14.36 ÷ 1 = 14.36
7.14 ÷ 7.14 = 1
14.36 ÷ 7.14 = 2
CH2
C = 1 x 12 = 12g/mol
H = 2 x 1 = 2g/mol
14g/mol
X = 14g/mol
X=3
Molecular formula = 3 (CH2) = (C3H6)
REFLECTION
One of the compounds mentioned earlier is Ascorbic acid with a molecular formula of C6H8O6 also known as
vitamin C. Why it is important to take this daily especially in this time of pandemic?
It is essential to take this daily because Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which means that it can fight oxidative
damage. When the immune system activates to kill a pathogen, it may also cause oxidative damage. This suggests that
vitamin C could fight the damage that the disease-fighting process causes. It also aids the healthy immune function by
supporting the development of white blood cells. In its role as an antioxidant, vitamin C may also help fight inflammation,
which can damage the lungs and the organs. Some evidences suggest that people with severe COVID – 19 experience
dangerous levels of inflammation. Vitamin C levels also tend to decline when a person is unwell, even though the immune
system’s need for this vitamin increases. Some doctors believe that taking vitamin C supplements can help prevent this
depletion, thereby supporting the immune system.