Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION I
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF CANDON CITY

11/12
Science Technology, Engineering
& Mathematics

Gen. Chemistry 1

Quarter 1 – Module 2:
Atomic Structure;
Formulas and Names of
Compounds

Prepared by:

MICHELLE LESLIE E. CABASAN

TEACHER II

What is this? Foreword

 This module is one of the learning modalities indicated in the

Learning Continuity Plan of DepEd to make learning happen amidst

the pandemic.

This module has contents similar to the lessons delivered by the

teacher in an online platform. It is also congruent with the discussions of the teacher via

recorded lesson, and forms the same with the assessment indicated in the learning

activity sheets.

For clarity, it makes use of icons that indicate the parts of the module. These

icons mark the stage where the student is in when he makes use of this module.

The students are advised to ask further questions from the teacher for guidance

and clearer understanding.

It is hoped that this module serves its purpose to ensure that learning still takes

place.

HAPPY Learning 
What to see? Parts and Icons used

Objectives: The MELCs with codes are indicated here

Guide Questions (Formative Assessment): Questions that will be

answered after the student finishes the module are written here. An
activity can also be indicated here to assess what students know.

Discussion: The topic is presented here in the simplest manner

possible. The discussion must be aligned to the MELCs and must point
out details on how the formative assessment can be answered.

Examples: Illustrative examples are indicated here to further explain

what is being discussed. At most three examples are written here.

Exercises: Exercises arranged in order of difficulty are indicated here.

The exercises have 1 item/set each for easy, average, challenging and
enrichment.

Answer Key: This provides the key answers to the exercises given. The
format of the words are inverted

References: The references in Chicago format are listed, as lifted

from DMOS.
 Lesson 1 Isotopes

Objective
1. Recognize common isotopes and their uses.

Guide Questions (Formative Assessment)

As you through this lesson, you should be able to answer the following
questions:

1. What are isotopes?

2. What are the common examples of isotopes and their uses?

Discussion

Isotopes

Atoms that have the same atomic number (number of protons), but different mass
numbers (number of protons and neutrons) are called isotopes. There are naturally occurring
isotopes and isotopes that are artificially produced. Isotopes are separated through mass
spectrometry; MS traces show the relative abundance of isotopes vs. mass number (mass:
charge ratio).

As mentioned before, isotopes are atoms that have the same atomic number, but
different mass numbers. Isotopes are denoted the same way as nuclides, but they are often
symbolized only with the mass numbers because isotopes of the same element have the the
same atomic number. Carbon, for example, has two naturally occurring isotopes, 612C and 613C.
Because both of these isotopes have 6 protons, they are often written as 12C and 13C. 12C has 6
neutrons, and 13C has 7 neutrons.

Of all the elements on the periodic table, only 21 are pure elements. Pure, or monotopic,
elements are those elements with only one naturally occurring nuclide.

Isotopes of the other elements either occur naturally or are artificially produced.
Uses of Radioactive Isotopes

Radioactive isotopes have a variety of applications. Generally, however, they are useful
because either we can detect their radioactivity or we can use the energy they release.

Radioactive isotopes are effective tracers because their radioactivity is easy to detect.
A tracer is a substance that can be used to follow the pathway of that substance through some
structure. For instance, leaks in underground water pipes can be discovered by running some
tritium-containing water through the pipes and then using a Geiger counter to locate any
radioactive tritium subsequently present in the ground around the pipes. (Recall that tritium is a
radioactive isotope of hydrogen.)

The total mass of an atom is called its atomic weight, and is the approximate sum of the
masses of its constituent protons, neutrons, and electrons. When protons, neutrons, and
electrons combine to form an atom, some of their mass is converted to energy and is given off.
(This is the source of energy in nuclear fusion reactions. Because the atom cannot be broken
down into its fundamental particles unless the energy for the missing mass is supplied from
outside it, this energy is called the binding energy of the nucleus.

Each isotope of an element is characterized by an atomic number (the number of

protons), a mass number (the total number of protons and neutrons), and an atomic weight
(mass of atom in atomic mass units). Because mass losses upon formation of an atom are small,
the mass number is usually the same as the atomic weight rounded to the nearest integer (for
example, the atomic weight of chlorine-37 is 36.966, which is rounded to 37). If there are several
isotopes of an element in nature, then the experimentally observed atomic weight (the natural
atomic weight) is the weighted average of the isotope weights. The average is weighted
according to the percent abundance of the isotopes. Chlorine occurs in nature as 75.53%
chlorine-35 (34.97 u) and 24.47% chlorine-37 (36.97 u), so the weighted average of the isotope
weights is (07553 x 34.97 u) + (0.2447 x 36.97 u) = 35.46 u. The atomic weights found in
periodic tables are all weighted averages of the isotopes occurring in nature, and these are the
figures used for the remainder of this article, except when discussing one isotope specifically. In
general, all isotopes of an element behave the same way chemically. Their behaviors differ with
regard to mass-sensitive properties such as diffusion rates.

1. Radioactive Dating

Radioactive isotopes are useful for establishing the ages of various objects. The half-life
of radioactive isotopes is unaffected by any environmental factors, so the isotope acts like an
internal clock. For example, if a rock is analyzed and is found to contain a certain amount of
uranium-235 and a certain amount of its daughter isotope, we can conclude that a certain
fraction of the original uranium-235 has radioactively decayed. If half of the uranium has
decayed, then the rock has an age of one half-life of uranium-235, or about 4.5 × 109 y. Many
analyses like this, using a wide variety of isotopes, have indicated that age of the earth itself is
over 4 × 109 y. In another interesting example of radioactive dating, hydrogen-3 dating has been
used to verify the stated vintages of some old fine wines.

2. Irradiation of Food

The radiation emitted by some radioactive substances can be used to kill microorganisms
on a variety of foodstuffs, extending the shelf life of these products. Produce such as tomatoes,
mushrooms, sprouts, and berries are irradiated with the emissions from cobalt-60 or cesium-137.
This exposure kills a lot of the bacteria that cause spoilage, so the produce stays fresh longer.
Eggs and some meat, such as beef, pork, and poultry, can also be irradiated. Contrary to the
belief of some people, irradiation of food does not make the food itself radioactive.

3. Medical Applications

Radioactive isotopes have numerous medical applications—diagnosing and treating

illness and diseases. One example of a diagnostic application is using radioactive iodine-131 to
test for thyroid activity. The thyroid gland in the neck is one of the few places in the body with a
significant concentration of iodine. To evaluate thyroid activity, a measured dose of 131I is
administered to a patient, and the next day a scanner is used to measure the amount of
radioactivity in the thyroid gland. The amount of radioactive iodine that collects there is directly
related to the activity of the thyroid, allowing trained physicians to diagnose both hyperthyroidism
and hypothyroidism. Iodine-131 has a half-life of only 8 d, so the potential for damage due to
exposure is minimal. Technetium-99 can also be used to test thyroid function. Bones, the heart,
the brain, the liver, the lungs, and many other organs can be imaged in similar ways by using the
appropriate radioactive isotope.

Isotop Use
e
32
P cancer detection and treatment, especially in eyes and skin
59
Fe anemia diagnosis
60
Co gamma ray irradiation of tumors
99m
Tc* brain, thyroid, liver, bone marrow, lung, heart, and intestinal scanning; blood
volume determination
131
I diagnosis and treatment of thyroid function
133
Xe lung imaging
198
Au liver disease diagnosis
*The “m” means that it is a metastable form of this isotope of technetium.
 Examples

1. How many protons, neutrons, and electrons are there in an atom of

uranium-238? Write the symbol for this isotope.

SOLUTION

The atomic number of uranium (see periodic table) is 92, and the mass
number of the isotope is given as 238. Therefore, it has 92 protons, 92 electrons, and
238 — 92 : 146 neutrons. Its symbol is 238U.

2. Calculate the mass that is lost when an atom of carbon-12 is formed from protons,
electrons, and neutrons.

SOLUTION

Because the atomic number of every carbon atom is 6, carbon-12 has 6

protons and therefore 6 electrons. To find the number of neutrons, we subtract the
number of protons from the mass number: 12 – 6 = 6 neutrons. The data in Table 1-1
can be used to calculate the total mass of these particles:

Protons: 6 x 1.00728 amu = 6.04368 u

Neutrons: 6 x 1.00867 amu = 6.05202 u
Electrons: 6 x 0.00055 amu = 0.00330 u
Total particle mass = 12.09900 u

However, by the definition of the scale of atomic mass units, the mass of one
carbon-12 atom is exactly 12 amu. Therefore, 0.0990 u of mass has disappeared in
the process of building the atom from its particles.

3. Magnesium (Mg) has three significant natural isotopes: 78.70% of all magnesium
atoms have an atomic weight of 23.985 u, 10.13% have an atomic weight of 24.986
u, and 11.17% have an atomic weight of 25.983 u. How many protons and neutrons
are present in each of these three isotopes? How are the symbols for each isotope
written? Finally, what is the weighted average of the atomic weights?

SOLUTION

There are 12 protons in all magnesium isotopes. The isotope whose atomic
weight is 23.985 u has a mass number of 24 (protons and neutrons), so 24 - 12
protons gives 12 neutrons. The symbol for this isotope is 24Mg. Similarly, the isotope
whose atomic weight is 24.986 amu has a mass number of 25, 13 neutrons,
and 25Mg as a symbol. The third isotope (25.983 amu) has a mass number of 26, 14
neutrons, and 26Mg as a symbol. The average atomic weight is calculated as follows:

(0.7870 x 23.985) + (0.1013 x 24.986) + (0.1117 x 25.983) = 24.31 u

Exercises # 1

For each of the following isotopes, write the number of protons,

neutrons, and electrons. Assume all atoms are neutral.

Module in General Chemistry 1 7

electrons.
A.

Chromium-58 Chromium-63

# of protons

# of neutrons

# of electrons

B.

Nitrogen-15 Nitrogen-20

# of protons

# of neutrons

# of electrons .

C.

Sodium-12 Sodium-20

# of protons

# of neutrons

# of electrons

Exercises # 2

Fill in the isotope names and any missing information on the chart.
Use your periodic table and the information provided. Assume all
atoms are neutral.

A.

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 Manganese- Manganese-
42 (25 +17) -40
# of protons
25
# of neutrons
17 15
# of electrons

B.

Palladium- 94 Palladium-97
# of protons

# of neutrons
48 51
# of electrons
46

Lesson 2 Chemical Formulas

Module in General Chemistry 1 9

 Objectives

1. Represent compounds using chemical formulas, structural

formulas and models

2. Name compounds given their formula and write

formula given the name of the compound

Guide Questions (Formative Assessment)

As you through this lesson, you should be able to answer

the following questions:

1. What is structural formula?

2. What are the structural formulas of common chemical
substance?

Discussion

Structural Formulas
Chemistry is the experimental and theoretical study of materials
on their properties at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels. Understanding
the relationship between properties and structures/bonding is also a hot pursuit.
Chemistry is traditionally divided into organic and inorganic chemistry. The former is
the study of compounds containing at least one carbon-hydrogen bonds. By default,
the chemical study of all other substances is called inorganic chemistry, a less well
defined subject.
A chemical formula is a format used to express the structure of atoms. The
formula tells which elements and how many of each element are present in a
compound. Formulas are written using the elemental symbol of each atom and a
subscript to denote the number of elements. This notation can be accredited to
Swedish chemist Jons Jakob Berzeliu. The most common elements present in
organic compounds are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. With carbon and
hydrogen present, other elements, such as phosphorous, sulfur, silicon, and the
halogens, may exist in organic compounds. Compounds that do not pertain to this
rule are called inorganic compounds.
Molecular Geometry and Structural Formula

Understanding how atoms in a molecules are arranged and how they are
bonded together is very important in giving the molecule its identity. Isomers are
compounds in which two molecules can have the same number of atoms, and thus
the same molecular formula, but can have completely different physical and chemical
properties because of differences in structural formula.

Module in General Chemistry 1 10

Structural Formula

A structural formula displays the atoms of the molecule in the order they are
bonded. It also depicts how the atoms are bonded to one another, for example
single, double, and triple covalent bond. Covalent bonds are shown using lines. The
number of dashes indicate whether the bond is a single, double, or triple covalent
bond. Structural formulas are helpful because they explain the properties and
structure of the compound which empirical and molecular formulas cannot always
represent.

Ex. Structural Formula for Ethanol: 

Condensed Structural Formula

Condensed structural formulas show the order of atoms like a structural

formula but are written in a single line to save space and make it more convenient
and faster to write out. Condensed structural formulas are also helpful when showing
that a group of atoms is connected to a single atom in a compound. When this
happens, parenthesis are used around the group of atoms to show they are together.

Ex. Condensed Structural Formula for Ethanol: CH 3CH2OH (Molecular Formula for
Ethanol C2H6O).

Formulas of Inorganic Compounds

Inorganic compounds are typically not of biological origin. Inorganic

compounds are made up of atoms connected using ionic bonds. These inorganic
compounds can be binary compounds, binary acids, or polyatomic ions.

Binary compounds

Binary compounds are formed between two elements, either a metal paired
with a nonmetal or two nonmetals paired together. When a metal is paired with a
nonmetal, they form ionic compounds in which one is a negatively charged ion and
the other is positively charged. The net charge of the compound must then become
neutral. Transition metals have different charges; therefore, it is important to specify
what type of ion it is during the naming of the compound. When two nonmetals are
paired together, the compound is a molecular compound. When writing out the
formula, the element with a positive oxidation state is placed first.

Binary acids

Binary acids are binary compounds in which hydrogen bonds with a nonmetal
forming an acid. However, there are exceptions such as NH 3, which is a base. This is
because it shows no tendency to produce a H+. Because hydrogen is positively
charged, it is placed first when writing out these binary acids.

Module in General Chemistry 1 11

Ex. HBr (Hydrobromic Acid)

Polyatomic ions

Polyatomic ions is formed when two or more atoms are connected with
covalent bonds. Cations are ions that have are positively charged, while anions are
negatively charged ions. The most common polyatomic ions that exists are those of
anions. The two main polyatomic cations are Ammonium and Mercury (I). Many
polyatomic ions are typically paired with metals using ionic bonds to form chemical
compounds.

Ex. MnO4- (Polyatomic ion); NaMnO4 (Chemical Compound)

Oxoacids

Many acids have three different elements to form ternary compounds. When
one of those three elements is oxygen, the acid is known as a oxoacid. In other
words, oxacids are compounds that contain hydrogen, oxygen, and one other
element.

Ex. HNO3 (Nitric Acid)

Complex Compounds

Certain compounds can appear in multiple forms yet mean the same thing. A
common example is hydrates: water molecules bond to another compound or
element. When this happens, a dot is shown between H2O and the other part of the
compound. Because the H2O molecules are embedded within the compound, the
compound is not necessarily "wet". When hydrates are heated, the water in the
compound evaporates and the compound becomes anhydrous. These compounds
can be used to attract water such as CoCl 2. When CoCl2 is dry, CoCl2 is a blue color
whereas the hexahydrate (written below) is pink in color.

Ex. CoCl2 ·6 H2O

Formulas of Organic Compounds

Organic compounds contain a combination carbon and hydrogen or carbon

and hydrogen with nitrogen and a few other elements, such as phosphorous, sulfur,
silicon, and the halogens. Most organic compounds are seen in biological origin, as
they are found in nature.

Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are compounds that consist of only carbon and hydrogen

atoms. Hydrocarbons that are bonded together with only single bonds are alkanes.
The simplest example is methane (shown below). When hydrocarbons have one or
more double bonds, they are called alkenes. The simplest alkene is Ethene (C 2H4)
which contains a double bond between the two carbon atoms.

Module in General Chemistry 1 12

  

Ex. Methane on left, Ethene on right

Functional Groups

Functional groups are atoms connected to carbon chains or rings of organic

molecules. Compounds that are within a functional group tend to have similar
properties and characteristics. Two common functional groups are hydroxyl groups
and carboxyl groups. Hydroxyl groups end in -OH and are alcohols. Carboxyl groups
end in -COOH, making compounds containing -COOH carboxylic acids. Functional
groups also help with nomenclature by using prefixes to help name the compounds
that have similar chemical properties.

Ex. Hydroxyl Group on top; Carboxyl Group on bottom

Examples

A. Classify each compound as organic or inorganic.

1. C3H8O

Module in General Chemistry 1 13

 2. CaCl2
3. Cr(NH3)3Cl3
4. C30H48O3N

Answers

1. organic
2. inorganic
3. inorganic
4. organic

B. Name each compound.

a.

b.

Answer
a. pentane
b. heptane

Exercises # 1

Write the condensed structural formula for each structural

formula.

Module in General Chemistry 1 14

a.

b.

c.

Exercises #2
1. Draw the expanded and condensed structural formulas for pentane.

2. What is the IUPAC name of the following compound?

Module in General Chemistry 1 15

3. Draw the condensed structural formulas for 2,3-dimethylbutane.

Lesson
Objective
1. Calculate
compound
3 Empirical Formula
the empirical formula from the percent composition of a

Guide Questions (Formative Assessment)

As you through this lesson, you should be able to answer the

following questions:

1. What are empirical formula?

2. What are the steps to get the empirical formula?

Discussion

The Empirical formula shows the kind and proportions of atoms in

a substance in its simplest form. The Chemical formula, on the other
hand, is the shorthand way of writing a substance by using chemical symbols and
number subscripts with the exact numbers of atoms.

Consider hydrogen peroxide. The chemical formula is H2O2. In one molecule

of hydrogen peroxide, there are two hydrogens and two oxygens. The empirical

Module in General Chemistry 1 16

formula is HO. This is how you would write hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, in its simplest
form.

The chemical formula, as you can tell, gives a more exact representation of
the substance. Look at glucose and formaldehyde. Glucose's chemical formula is
C6H12O6. Formaldehyde's chemical formula is CH2O. Both of them have the same
empirical formula of CH2O.

Determining the Percent Composition of Compounds

First, let's practice finding the percent composition of compounds. To find the
percent composition, you need the formula, from which you find the molar mass
(from which you find the mass percentage) of each element.

1. Write the formula.

2. Use the formula to determine molar mass.
3. Use the molar mass to determine the mass percentage of each element.

If you have a compound that has the formula C2H5OH, first determine the mass
of each element.

 mass of C = (2 moles C / 1) * (12 g C / 1 mole) = 24 g C

 mass of H = (6 moles H / 1) * (1 g H / 1 mole) = 6 g H

When you are counting the number of hydrogens, don't forget to count the one at
the end of the formula!

 mass of O = (1 mole O / 1) * (16 g O / 1 mole) = 16 g O

o Total mass = 24 g + 6 g + 16 g = 46 g

Next, determine the percent of each element in the total compound.

 C = (24 / 46) * 100% = 52%

 H = (6 / 46) * 100% = 13%
 O = (16 / 46) * 100% = 35%

Module in General Chemistry 1 17

Determining the Empirical Formula
Now, let's practice determining the empirical formula of a compound. To do this,
you need the percent composition (which you use to determine the mass
composition), then the composition in moles and finally, the smallest whole number
mole ratio of atoms.

1. Find the percent composition.

2. Use the percent composition to determine the mass composition.
3. Use the mass composition to determine the composition in moles.
4. Use the composition in moles to find the smallest whole number ratio of
atoms.

For this example, our compound has 72% Cl, 24% C and 4% H. First, determine
the mass of each of the elements in 100 g of the substance.

 72 g Cl
 24 g C
 4gH

Next, determine how many moles there are of each element in 100 g of the
substance by using the molar mass of each element.

 (72 g Cl / 1) * (1 mole Cl / 35.5 g Cl) = 2 moles

 (24 g C / 1) * (1 mole C / 12 g C) = 2 moles
 (4 g H / 1) * (1 mole H / 1 g H) = 4 moles

Divide each one by the smallest number of moles.

 Cl = 2 / 2 = 1
 C=2/2=1
 H=4/2=2

So, the empirical formula is CH2Cl.

Module in General Chemistry 1 18

 Examples
1. An oxide of aluminum is formed by the reaction of 4.151 g of
aluminum and 3.692 g of oxygen. Calculate the empirical formula for
this compound.
What do we know?

 The compound contains 4.151 g of aluminum and 3.692 g of oxygen

 We also know the atomic masses by looking them up on the periodic table.
Aluminum (26.98 g/mol) and oxygen (16.00 g/mol).

Let's go through the steps to solve this:

Step 1: Determine the masses
We have these: 4.151 g of Al and 3.692 g of O
Step 2: Determine the number of moles by dividing the grams by the atomic
mass
So let's do that now:
4.151 g Al x (1 mol Al / 26.98 g Al) = 0.1539 mol Al atoms
3.692 g O x (1 mol O / 16.00 g O) = 0.2398 mol O atoms
Step 3: Divide the number of moles of each element by the smallest number of
moles
0.1539 mol Al / 0.1539 = 1.000 mol Al atoms
0.2398 mol O / 0.1539 = 1.500 mol O atoms
Step 4: Convert numbers to whole numbers
1.000 Al * 2 = 2.000 Al atoms and 1.500 O atoms * 2 = 3.000 O atoms
The compound contains 2 Al atoms for every 3 O atoms
Empirical Formula = Al2O3

2. When a 0.3546 g sample of vanadium metal is heated in air, it reacts with oxygen
to achieve a final mass of 0.6330 g. What is the empirical formula of this vanadium
oxide?

Module in General Chemistry 1 19

What do we know?

 The compound contains 0.3546 g of vanadium and a total mass of 0.6330 g

 We know the atomic masses of vanadium (50.94 g/mol) and oxygen (16.00
g/mol)

Let's go through the steps to solve:

Step 1: Determine the masses
We are given vanadium as 0.3546g and that must be present in the final
mass.
mass of the oxygen = final mass - vanadium mass
0.6330 g - 0.3546 g = 0.2784 g
Step 2: Determine the number of moles by dividing the grams by the atomic
mass
0.3456 g V x (1 mol V / 50.94 g V) = 0.006961 mol V atoms
0.2784 g O x (1 mol O /1 6.00 g O) = 0.01740 mol O atoms
Step 3: Divide the number of moles of each element by the smallest number of
moles
0.006961 mol V / 0.006961 = 1.000 mol V atoms
0.01740 mol O / 0.006961 = 2.500 mol O atoms
Step 4: Convert numbers to whole numbers
1.000 V * 2 = 2.000 V atoms
2.500 O atoms * 2 = 5.000 O atoms
The compound contains 2 V atoms for every 5 O atoms
Empirical Formula = V2O5

Exercises # 1
Solve the following problem.

Module in General Chemistry 1 20

1. A certain compound was found to contain 67.6% C, 22.5% O, and 9.9% H. What is
the empirical formula?

2. Calculate the Empirical formula for the following

a. A 3.3700 g sample of a salt which contains copper, nitrogen and oxygen, was
analyzed to contain 1.1418 g of copper and 1.7248 g of oxygen.

b. A compound of nitrogen and oxygen that contains 30.43% N by weight.

c. A 2.402-g sample of made of C, H, N and O contains 1.121 g of N, 0.161 g H,

0.480 g C, and an unspecified amount of oxygen.

3. Given the empirical formula of the compound in part (a) of the above:

a. What could be the formula of the compound.

b. What would be the name of the compound, using the formula in the answer
from part (a) of this question.

4. Calculate the empirical formula of a compound that contains 36.8% nitrogen and
63.25% oxygen

Lesson 3 Molecular Formula

Module in General Chemistry 1 21
 Objective
1. Calculate molecular formula given molar mass

Guide Questions (Formative Assessment)

As you through this lesson, you should be able to answer the

following questions:

1. What are molecular formula?

2. What are the steps to get the molecular formula?

Discussion

Molecular Formulas

Molecular formulas give the kind and number of atoms of

each element present in a molecular compound.  In many cases,
the molecular formula is the same as the empirical formula.  The molecular formula
of methane is CH4 and because it contains only one carbon atom, that is also
its empirical formula.  Sometimes, however, the molecular formula is a simple whole-
number multiple of the empirical formula.  Acetic acid  is an organic acid that is the
main component of vinegar.  Its molecular formula is C2H4O2.  Glucose is  a simple
sugar that cells use as a primary source of energy.  Its molecular formula is C6H12O6. 
The structures of both molecules are shown in the figure below.  They are very
different compounds, yet both have the same empirical formula of CH2O.

Empirical formulas can be determined from the percent composition of a

compound.  In order to determine its molecular formula, it is necessary to know
the molar mass of the compound.  Chemists use an instrument called a mass
spectrometer to determine the molar mass of compounds.  In order to go from the
empirical formula to the molecular formula, follow these steps:

1. Calculate the empirical formula mass (EFM), which is simply the molar

mass represented by the empirical formula.

Module in General Chemistry 1 22

2. Divide the molar mass of the compound by the empirical formula mass. The
result should be a whole number or very close to a whole number.

3. Multiply all the subscripts in the empirical formula by the whole number found
in step 2. The result is the molecular formula.

Examples

1. The empirical formula of a compound of boron and hydrogen is BH 3.  Its

molar mass is 27.7 g/mol.  Determine the molecular formula of the
compound.

Step 1: List the known quantities and plan the problem.

Known

empirical formula = BH3

molar mass = 27.7 g/mol

Unknown

molecular formula = ?

Steps to follow are outlined in the text.

Step 2: Calculate.

1. The empirical formula mass (EFM) = 13.84 g/mol

2. molar mass/EFM=27.7/13.84=2

3. BH3×2=B2H6

The molecular formula of the compound is B2H6.

2. The simplest formula for vitamin C is C3H4O3. Experimental data indicates that the
molecular mass of vitamin C is about 180. What is the molecular formula of vitamin
C?

Solution
First, calculate the sum of the atomic masses for C3H4O3. Look up
the atomic masses for the elements from the Periodic Table. The atomic masses are
found to be:
H is 1.01
C is 12.01
O is 16.00

Module in General Chemistry 1 23

 Plugging in these numbers, the sum of the atomic masses for C3H4O3 is:
3(12.0) + 4(1.0) + 3(16.0) = 88.0
This means the formula mass of vitamin C is 88.0. Compare the formula mass (88.0)
to the approximate molecular mass (180). The molecular mass is twice the formula
mass (180/88 = 2.0), so the simplest formula must be multiplied by 2 to get the
molecular formula:
molecular formula vitamin C = 2 x C3H4O3 = C6H8O6

Answer
C6H8O6

3. A compound is 75.46% carbon, 4.43% hydrogen, and 20.10% oxygen by mass. It

has a molecular weight of 318.31 g/mol. What is the molecular formula for this
compound?

1. Find the empirical formula

o Get the mass of each element by assuming a certain overall mass for
the sample (100 g is a good mass to assume when working with
percentages).

(.7546) (100 g) = 75.46 g C

(.0443) (100 g) = 4.43 g H

(.2010) (100 g) = 20.10 g O

o Convert the mass of each element to moles.

(75.46 g C) (1 mol/ 12.00 g C) = 6.289 mol C

(4.43 g H) (1 mol/ 1.008 g H) = 4.39 mol H

(20.10 g O) (1 mol/ 16.00 g O) = 1.256 mol O

o Find the ratio of the moles of each element.

(1.256 mol O)/ (1.256) = 1 mol O

(6.289 mol C)/ (1.256) = 5.007 mol C

(4.39 mol H)/ (1.256) = 3.50 mol H

Use the mole ratio to write the empirical fomula.

Multiplying the mole ratios by two to get whole number, the empirical formula
becomes:

C10H7O2

Module in General Chemistry 1 24

 2. Find the mass of the empirical unit.

10(12.00) + 7(1.008) + 2(16.00) = 159.06 g/mol

3. Figure out how many empirical units are in a molecular unit.

(318.31 g/mol) / (159.06 g/mol) = 2.001 empirical units per molecular

unit

4. Write the molecular formula.

Since there are two empirical units in a molecular unit, the molecular
formula is:

C20H14O4

Exercises # 1
1. A compound with an empirical formula of C4H4O and a molar
mass of 136 grams per mole. What is the molecular formula of this
compound?

2. A compound with an empirical formula of CFBrO and a molar mass of 253.8 grams
per mole. What is the molecular formula of this compound?

3. A compound with an empirical formula of C2H8N and a molar mass of 46 grams

per mole. What is the molecular formula of this compound?

4. A well-known reagent in analytical chemistry, dimethylglyoxime, has the empirical

formula C2 H4 NO. If its molar mass is 116.1 g/mol, what is the molecular formula of
the compound?

5. An unknown compound was found to have a percent composition as follows: 47.0

% potassium, 14.5 % carbon, and 38.5 % oxygen. What is its empirical formula? If
the true molar mass of the compound is 166.22 g/mol, what is its molecular formula?

References:

https://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/probsolv/stoichiometry/molecular2
/mf2.4.html
https://www.thoughtco.com/molecular-and-simplest-formula-problem-609514

Module in General Chemistry 1 25

 https://www.google.com/search?ei=y_IeX4bfAtSTr7wPns6M-
AI&q=molecular+formula+worksheet+answers&oq=molecular+formula+worksheet&g
s_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgBMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyBggAEBYQHjIGCA
AQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeOgQIABBHOgQIABBDUOYY
WMAyYOJCaABwAXgAgAG4AYgBiguSAQQwLjEwmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpesA
BAQ&sclient=psy-ab

http://nobel.scas.bcit.ca/chem0011/lectures/Empirical_Molecular_Formula_Worksh
eet_answers.pdf

https://www.google.com/search?
q=ISOTOPES+EXERCISES+WITH+ANSWER&oq=ISOTOPES+EXERCISES+WITH+ANSWER&aqs=c
hrome..69i57.10806j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Text
book_Maps/Supplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Atomic_Theory
/Isotopes/Isotopes_II

https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Text
book_Maps/Supplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Atomic_Theory
/Isotopes

Module in General Chemistry 1 26