A compound with the empirical formula CH2 has a molar mass of 42 g/mol. What is the molecular formula for this compound?

Answer 1

Hey Kailee,

So, molecular formula is the actual formula of a compound, while the empirical represents the simplest ratio of elements in a compound. So we know the simplest ratio (empirical) is CH₂ which has a molar mass of approximately 14 g/mol.

To find the molecular formula, we take the molar mass of the molecular compound (42 g/mol), and divide it by the empirical formula (14g/mol) giving us 3. This 3 represents the factor by which we must multiply the empirical formula, CH₂ which gives us C₃H₆, the molecular formula of the compound you were asked to find.