Respuesta :
Answer: The molecular formula of the compound is [tex]P_2O_6[/tex]
Explanation:
The molecular formula is the chemical formula that tells about the number of atoms of each element present in a compound. Molecular formula and empirical formula can also be the same when the number of atoms is in the simplest whole-number ratio.
To calculate the molecular formula, the number of atoms of the empirical formula is multiplied by a factor known as valency that is represented by the symbol, 'n'.
[tex]n=\frac{\text{Molecular mass}}{\text{Empirical mass}}[/tex] ...(1)
Given empirical formula is [tex]PO_3[/tex]
Empirical mass = [tex][(1\times 30.97) + (3\times 15.99)]=78.94 g/mol[/tex]
Molecular mass = 157.9 g/mol
Plugging values in equation 1:
[tex]n=\frac{157.9 g/mol}{78.94g/mol}\\\\n=2[/tex]
Molecular formula of the compound becomes [tex]P_{2\times 1}O_{2\times 3}=P_2O_6[/tex]
Hence, the molecular formula of the compound is [tex]P_2O_6[/tex]
