Question

What are the empirical formulas for C9H20, P4O10, and B2H6?

Answer 1

`C_9H_20`, `P_2O_5` and `BH_3`.

Explanation:

To find the empirical formula from a molecular formula, you should divide the subscripts by the same integer in order to get the smallest whole numbers.

The empirical formula of `C_9H_20` is `C_9H_20` itself since there is no integer that we can find to divide `9` and `20` to get smaller whole numbers.

The empirical formula of `P_4O_10` is `P_2O_5`. We get it by dividing both subscripts by `2`.

The empirical formula of `B_2H_6` is `BH_3`. We get it by dividing both subscripts by `2`.