1.

7 Empirical formula

Resources needed:
None
Lesson plan
Starter: Students answer questions on slide 2
Main:
Students listen to introduction on empirical formula and copy definitions nto their
glossaries
Work through some example problems as a class
Students work through empirical formula questions
Students complete example exam questions
Students self assess their learning
Plenary
Students answer five multiple choice questions based on the lesson (15 mins as
3 questions are a bit longer)

Dr Alex Johnston, Southampton, Richard Taunton 6 th Form College

Starter Number of mols = mass (g)

molar mass (g mol-1)

In the manufacture of iron in the blast furnace, iron (III) oxide in the iron
ore is reduced by carbon monoxide to iron.
Carbon dioxide is also formed.

Fe2O3 + CO -> Fe + CO2

1) Copy and balance this equation.

2) Calculate the relative formula mass (Mr) of Iron (III) oxide

3) Look up the relative atomic mass (Ar) of iron (Fe)

4) Calculate the number of mols of 1g of iron (Fe)

5) What mass of iron (III) oxide is needed to make 1g of iron?

6) How many tonnes of iron (III) oxide are needed to create 1

tonne of Iron (1 tonne = 1000 Kg)
 OCR-A Chemistry Autumn term

Introduction to chemistry Introduction to organic

Enthalpy changes
chemistry

OCR-A Chemistry Spring-Summer term

Acids & bases Rates of reaction and The halogens and

Organic synthesis
equilibrium halogenoalkanes
 Atomic Formulae and The periodic
structure equations table

Mass Amount of Electronic structure

1. Introduction to spectroscopy substance and ions
chemistry

Redox reactions Molecular Types of

& group 2 shape structures
 2 June 2025

Empirical formula

Today you will be learning how to calculate empirical

formula from percentage mass and molecular mass
 2 June 2025

Empirical formula
The learning objectives for this lesson are:

FC5i-Use the terms empirical formula& molecular formula

FC5iii-Calculate empirical and molecular formulae from composition by mass or

percentage compositions by mass and relative molecular mass

The learning objectives for each lesson are taken from the specification for the
exam.
To really succeed at A-Level you need to keep track of what you know and what
you don’t know.
Your workbooks contain a checklist of all of the learning objectives for each topic
At the end of each lesson you should rate how well you can do each objective
To help you each objective is linked to a page in the revision guide.

All exam questions and mini-test questions are also linked to the learning objectives
Fill out the front of your workbook

This workbook covers this first half term

They are expensive to printout, if you lose it is on Moodle

and I will expect you to printout another copy.
Your workbook also contains a glossary at the back

As we go through we will highlight the keywords for

you to complete this
Your workbook also contains space for you to take notes

This means you don’t have to ask for paper

Empirical formula: Shows the simplest whole number ratio of
atoms of each element in a compound.

Molecular formula: Shows the number and type of atoms

present of each element present in a compound

Ethane Ethanoic acid

Molecular formula: Molecular formula:
Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula:
 What are the Empirical and Molecular formulae of the
following compounds.

Benzene Ethylene glycol Butanoic acid

Molecular formula: Molecular formula: Molecular formula:

Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula:

What are the Empirical formulae of compounds with the
following Molecular formulae? (Some of them can’t be simplified)

a) C3H6

b) P4O6

c) Al2Cl6

d) B2H6

e) C8H10

f) C 3H 4

g) C6H12O6

h) C12H22O11
 Calculating empirical formula
2g of a compound contains 1.2g of magnesium and 0.8 g of oxygen.
What is the empirical formula?
Magnesium (Mg) Oxygen (O)
1. What is the
mass? 1.2g 0.8g

2. Find the
number of moles 1.2g/24.3 = 0.049 0.8g/16 = 0.05

3. Divide the
number of moles,
by the smallest
0.05 / 0.049 = 1.02
value to get a 0.049 / 0.049 = 1
ratio
4. Adjust to make
the ratios whole
numbers 1 1
5. The empirical
formula is

MgO
 Calculating empirical formula
16.7g of a compound contains 12.7 g of iodine and 4.0g of oxygen.
What is the empirical formula?
Iodine (I) Oxygen (O)
1. What is the
mass?

2. Find the number

of moles

3. Divide the
number of moles,
by the smallest
value to get a ratio

4. Adjust to make
the ratios whole
numbers

5. The empirical
formula is
 Calculating empirical formula
16.7g of a compound contains 12.7 g of iodine and 4.0g of oxygen.
What is the empirical formula?
Iodine (I) Oxygen (O)
1. What is the
mass? 12.7g 4.0g

2. Find the
number of
moles
3. Divide the
number of
moles, by the
smallest value
to get a ratio
4. Adjust to
make the ratios
whole numbers
5. The
empirical
formula is
 Calculating empirical formula
16.7g of a compound contains 12.7 g of iodine and 4.0g of oxygen.
What is the empirical formula?
Iodine (I) Oxygen (O)
1. What is the
mass? 12.7g 4.0g

2. Find the
12.7g / 126.9 = 4.0g/16.0 =
molar mass
3. Divide the
molar mass, by
the smallest
value to get a
ratio
4. Adjust to
make the ratio
a whole
number.
5. The
empirical
formula is
 Calculating empirical formula
16.7g of a compound contains 12.7 g of iodine and 4.0g of oxygen.
What is the empirical formula?
Iodine (I) Oxygen (O)
1. What is the
mass? 12.7g 4.0g

2. Find the
12.7g / 126.9 = 0.1 mol 4.0g/16.0 = 0.25 mol
molar mass
3. Divide the
molar mass, by
the smallest
value to get a
ratio
4. Adjust to
make the ratio
a whole
number.
5. The
empirical
formula is
 Calculating empirical formula
16.7g of a compound contains 12.7 g of iodine and 4.0g of oxygen.
What is the empirical formula?
Iodine (I) Oxygen (O)
1. What is the
mass? 12.7g 4.0g

2. Find the
12.7g / 126.9 = 0.1 mol 4.0g/16.0 = 0.25 mol
molar mass
3. Divide the
molar mass, by
the smallest 0.1 mol / 0.1 mol = 0.25 mol / 0.1 mol =
value to get a
ratio
4. Adjust to
make the ratio
a whole
number.
5. The
empirical
formula is
 Calculating empirical formula
16.7g of a compound contains 12.7 g of iodine and 4.0g of oxygen.
What is the empirical formula?
Iodine (I) Oxygen (O)
1. What is the
mass? 12.7g 4.0g

2. Find the
12.7g / 126.9 = 0.1 mol 4.0g/16.0 = 0.25 mol
molar mass
3. Divide the
molar mass, by
the smallest 0.1 mol / 0.1 mol = 1 0.25 mol / 0.1 mol = 2.5
value to get a
ratio
4. Adjust to
make the ratio
a whole
number.
5. The
empirical
formula is
 Calculating empirical formula
16.7g of a compound contains 12.7 g of iodine and 4.0g of oxygen.
What is the empirical formula?
Iodine (I) Oxygen (O)
1. What is the
mass? 12.7g 4.0g

2. Find the
12.7g / 126.9 = 0.1 mol 4.0g/16.0 = 0.25 mol
molar mass
3. Divide the
molar mass, by
the smallest 0.1 mol / 0.1 mol = 1 0.25 mol / 0.1 mol = 2.5
value to get a
ratio
4. Adjust to
make the ratio
a whole 2 5
number.
5. The
empirical
formula is
 Calculating empirical formula
16.7g of a compound contains 12.7 g of iodine and 4.0g of oxygen.
What is the empirical formula?
Iodine (I) Oxygen (O)
1. What is the
mass? 12.7g 4.0g

2. Find the
12.7g / 126.9 = 0.1 mol 4.0g/16.0 = 0.25 mol
molar mass
3. Divide the
molar mass, by
the smallest 0.1 mol / 0.1 mol = 1 0.25 mol / 0.1 mol = 2.5
value to get a
ratio
4. Adjust to
make the ratio
a whole 2 5
number.
5. The
empirical I2O5
formula is
 Using percentage mass
This is the same process, but it gives you the % of each element
instead of the mass.

For example: A compound contains 75% carbon and 25% hydrogen.

What is its empirical formula?

Carbon (C) Hydrogen (H)

1. What is the mass in 100g?
75g 25g

2. Find the number of mols

3. Divide the number of mols,
by the smallest value to get a
ratio
4. Adjust to make the ratio a
whole number.
5. The empirical formula is
 Empirical formula
Steps: 1) Divide each % by the relative atomic mass of the element.
2) Divide the each answer by the smallest answer to find the ratio of the
elements.
3) Use the ratios to work out the empirical formula.

a) A compound is found to contain 23.3% magnesium, 30.7% sulfur and 46.0%

oxygen. What is the empirical formula of this compound?
b) What is the empirical formula for a compound containing 38.8% carbon, 16.2%
hydrogen and 45.1% nitrogen?
c) A sample of an oxide of nitrogen is found to contain 30.4% nitrogen. What is its
empirical formula?
d) A sample of an oxide of arsenic is found to contain 75.74% arsenic. What is its
empirical formula?
e) What is the empirical formula for a compound containing 26.57% potassium, 35.36%
chromium, and 38.07% oxygen?
f) What is the empirical formula of a compound comprised of 1.8% hydrogen, 56.1% sulfur
and 42.1% oxygen?
1. MgSO3

2. CH5N

3. NO2

4. As2O3

5. K2Cr2O7

6. H2S2O3
 2 June 2025

Empirical formula

Answer Empirical formula 1, 2 & 3 on pages 17 & 18 of the

workbook
Each question is linked to a section of the specification for the course.
Look back at how you did and self assess whether you are:
Green (I understand it well)
Amber (Sort of get it)
Red (Need to go over it again later)
 2 June 2025

Empirical formula

15 marks on each of your exam papers are for multiple choice questions. At the end
of each lesson we will practice these.

Turn to the back of your workbook. There is space for you to answer 5 questions.

Fill in the lesson title.

 2 June 2025

Question 1

What is the definition of empirical formula?

A Shows the simplest whole number ratio of atoms of each

element in a compound.

B Shows the relative positioning of atoms in a compound

C Shows the simplest algebraic formula

Shows the number and type of atoms present of each

D element present in a compound
 2 June 2025

Question 2

What is the definition of molecular formula?

A Shows the simplest whole number ratio of atoms of each

element in a compound.

B Shows the relative positioning of atoms in a compound

C Shows the simplest algebraic formula

Shows the number and type of atoms present of each

D element present in a compound
 2 June 2025

Question 3

3.2g of sulfur reacts with oxygen to produce 6.4 g of sulfur oxide. What is the formula
of the oxide?

A SO
B SO2

C SO3

D SO4
 2 June 2025

Question 4

A compound has 63% Silver (Ag), 8.2% Nitrogen (N) & 28.3% Oxygen.
What is the empirical formula?
A AgNO2

B AgNO3

C Ag2NO

D AgN2O2
 2 June 2025

Question 5

A 170.0g of an unidentified sample contains 29.84g Sodium (Na), 67.49g Chromium

(Cr) & 72.67g Oxygen (O) what is the empirical formula?

A NaCrO10

B NaCr2O8

C Na2CrO6

D Na2Cr2O7
 2 June 2025

Empirical formula

Get ready to mark your answers

 2 June 2025

Question 1

What is the definition of empirical formula?

A Shows the simplest whole number ratio of atoms of each

element in a compound.

B Shows the relative positioning of atoms in a compound

C Shows the simplest algebraic formula

Shows the number and type of atoms present of each

D element present in a compound
 2 June 2025

Question 2

What is the definition of molecular formula?

A Shows the simplest whole number ratio of atoms of each

element in a compound.

B Shows the relative positioning of atoms in a compound

C Shows the simplest algebraic formula

Shows the number and type of atoms present of each

D element present in a compound
 2 June 2025

Question 3

3.2g of sulfur reacts with oxygen to produce 6.4 g of sulfur oxide. What is the formula
of the oxide?

A SO
B SO2

C SO3

D SO4
 2 June 2025

Question 4

A compound has 63% Silver (Ag), 8.2% Nitrogen (N) & 28.3% Oxygen.
What is the empirical formula?
A AgNO2

B AgNO3

C Ag2NO

D AgN2O2
 2 June 2025

Question 5

A 170.0g of an unidentified sample contains 29.84g Sodium (Na), 67.49g Chromium

(Cr) & 72.67g Oxygen (O) what is the empirical formula?

A NaCrO10

B NaCr2O8

C Na2CrO6

D Na2Cr2O7
 Empirical formula

How did you do?

5 out of 5 = A
4 out of 5 = B
3 out of 5 = C
2 out of 5 = D
1 out of 5 = E
0 out of 5 = U
 2 June 2025

Empirical formula
The learning objectives for this lesson are:

FC5i-Use the terms empirical formula& molecular formula

FC5iii-Calculate empirical and molecular formulae from composition by mass or

percentage compositions by mass and relative molecular mass

The learning objectives for each lesson are taken from the specification for the
exam.
To really succeed at A-Level you need to keep track of what you know and what
you don’t know.