The empirical formula of a molecule is a formula that gives information about the proportion of atoms present in a molecule. It represents the simplest whole number ratio of atoms of each element in a compound. To determine the empirical formula, one can calculate the ratio of moles of each element present in the compound and find the lowest whole number ratio. For example, if a compound contains 2 moles of hydrogen (H) and 1 mole of oxygen (O), the empirical formula would be H2O, indicating that the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen atoms in the compound is 2:1.
