Chemistry · Chapter 3

From Lab Data to a Formula

Analysis hands you masses or percents, never subscripts. Feed the data in and follow the four moves: grams, then moles, then divide by the smallest, then clear any fraction.

Mole ratio lines mark whole numbers

Mole ratio of each element, before and after the multiplier

The answer

Empirical formulaCH₂O
Molecular formulaC₆H₁₂O₆

Your data percent by mass

ElementAmount
Multiplier for step 4

Step by step