Empirical formula
Empirical Formula
The Empirical Formula (pronounced: em-pi-ri-kal for-mu-la) is a term used in Chemistry to denote the simplest positive integer ratio of atoms present in a compound. It does not provide the actual number of atoms in a molecule, but it does give the simplest whole number ratio of these atoms.
Etymology
The term 'Empirical' is derived from the Greek word 'empeirikos', meaning 'experienced'. It was first used in the context of scientific formulas in the 16th century. The term 'Formula' comes from the Latin word 'formula', which means 'small form' or 'pattern'.
Related Terms
- Molecular Formula: This is a term used in chemistry to denote the actual number of atoms of each element in a compound, as opposed to the empirical formula which only provides the simplest ratio.
- Stoichiometry: This is the part of chemistry that studies the quantitative relationships or the ratios of amounts of reactants and products in a chemical reaction.
- Chemical Compound: A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules composed of atoms from more than one element held together by chemical bonds.
- Chemical Reaction: A process that leads to the transformation of one set of chemical substances to another.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Empirical formula
- Wikipedia's article - Empirical formula
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