1.3.A—Explain the quantitative relationship between the elemental composition by mass and the empirical formula of a…

Explain the quantitative relationship between the elemental composition by mass and the empirical formula of a pure substance.

• Some pure substances are composed of individual molecules, while others consist of atoms or ions held together in fixed proportions as described by a formula unit.
• According to the law of definite proportions, the ratio of the masses of the constituent elements in any pure sample of that compound is always the same.
• The chemical formula that lists the lowest whole number ratio of atoms of the elements in a compound is the empirical formula.