Question

Which of the following statements is false concerning the formula of a compound?

Answer 1

Answer:

B. The number of atoms in a molecular formula is always greater than the number of atoms in an empirical  formula.

Explanation:

It is not always true that the number of atoms in a molecular formula is always greater than the number of atoms in an empirical formula.

The chemical formulae of a compound are of two main types;

• The empirical formula is that which expresses the composition of a compound in the simplest whole number ratio.
• The molecular formula shows the actual ratio of the atoms in a compound.

Sometimes the number of atoms in the molecular and empirical formula can be the same.

Also, the number of atoms in the molecular formula is always greater than that of the empirical formula when they are not the same.