Empirical Formula and Molecular Formula Introduction

We will talk about what empirical formula and molecular formula are, how they are different, and we'll learn how to write the empirical formula for a compound when you are given the molecular formula. Molecular formulas tell you how many atoms of each element are in a compound, and empirical formulas tell you the simplest or most reduced ratio of elements in a compound. If a compound's molecular formula cannot be reduced any more, then the empirical formula is the same as the molecular formula. Also, many compounds with different molecular formula have the same empirical formula.