51Թ

Advertisement

Advertisement

empirical formula

noun

Chemistry.
  1. a chemical formula indicating the elements of a compound and their relative proportions, as (CH 2 O) n .


empirical formula

noun

  1. a chemical formula indicating the proportion of each element present in a molecule Compare molecular formula structural formula

    C6H12O6 is the molecular formula of sucrose whereas CH2O is its empirical formula

  2. a formula or expression obtained from experimental data rather than theory
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

empirical formula

  1. A chemical formula that indicates the relative proportions of the elements in a molecule rather than the actual number of atoms of the elements. The empirical formula of a compound may be simpler than its molecular formula, which is a multiple of the empirical formula. For example, glucose has the molecular formula C 6 H 12 O 6 but the empirical formula CH 2 O.
Discover More

51Թ History and Origins

Origin of empirical formula1

First recorded in 1820–30
Discover More

Compare Meanings

How does empirical formula compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement