empirical formula

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a chemical formula indicating the elements of a compound and their relative proportions, as (CH 2 O) n .

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empirical formula British  

noun

1. a chemical formula indicating the proportion of each element present in a molecule Compare molecular formula structural formula

   C6H12O6 is the molecular formula of sucrose whereas CH2O is its empirical formula

2. a formula or expression obtained from experimental data rather than theory

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empirical formula Scientific  

1. A chemical formula that indicates the relative proportions of the elements in a molecule rather than the actual number of atoms of the elements. The empirical formula of a compound may be simpler than its molecular formula, which is a multiple of the empirical formula. For example, glucose has the molecular formula C ₆ H ₁₂ O ₆ but the empirical formula CH ₂ O.

2. Compare molecular formula structural formula

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Etymology

Origin of empirical formula

First recorded in 1820–30

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How does empirical-formula compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• empirical formula vs. molecular formula

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

empirical formula

What is the empirical formula of the compound of silver and carbon?

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

To derive the empirical formula of the compound, only the subscripts x and y are needed.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

Molecular formulas are derived by comparing the compound’s molecular or molar mass to its empirical formula mass.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

What is the empirical formula of this compound?

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

In other words, twenty-four different compounds, all having the same empirical formula and similar sugar-like properties are theoretically possible.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher