formule empirique

Traductions

• anglais

  Date : 1983

  Définition

  The formula obtained by dividing the percentage of each element in a compound by its atomic weight and taking the ratio of the quotients. This procedure gives the relative number of atoms present but not necessarily their actual number or their arrangement.
  
  Expresses simply the relative number of atoms in each molecule of a compound, on a formula based on experimental observations only, not derived from theoretical considerations.

  Note :

  It is possible for more than one compound to have the same empirical formula, for example, benzene (with six atoms each of carbon and hydrogen) has the same relative composition as acetylene (with only two atoms each of the same elements), the empirical formula of both being CH.

  Terme :

  1. empirical formula