Question

How would you calculate the empirical formula of acetic acid ($C{{H}_{3}}COOH$)?

Answer 1

Hint:. Empirical formula gives us the simplest whole ratio of the compound .In order to find out the empirical formula of the acetic acid, first we have to find out the total number of each atoms present in the compound and then, divide all of them with the smallest number of the atom in that very compound to get the simple whole number ratio i.e. the empirical formula. Now you can easily solve the given statement.

Complete step by step answer:
- First of all, we should know what an empirical formula is. By the empirical formula we mean the simple whole number ratio of each atom in a compound.
- We can find the empirical formula of acetic acid as;
- First, we have to calculate the total number of each atom present in the compound. Like in acetic acid , there are two carbon atoms, four hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms i.e. the molecular formula of acetic acid can also be written as ${{C}_{2}}{{H}_{4}}{{O}_{2}}$.
- Now, we will find the simple whole number ratio by dividing the molecular formula with the smallest number of atoms. In acetic acid, the smallest number of atoms is 2.
So, the whole number ratio in acetic acid is $2 : 4 : 2 = 1 : 2 : 1$ and the empirical formula of acetic acid = \[C{{H}_{2}}O\]
Hence, the empirical formula of the acetic acid ($C{{H}_{3}}COOH$) = \[C{{H}_{2}}O\].

Note: Don’t get confused in the molecular and the empirical formulas . They both are different terms. Molecular formula shows the number of each type of atom which is present in a molecule whereas the empirical formula is the simplest whole ratio of the atoms in the compound.