Question #f918d

1 Answer
Jul 3, 2017

The molecular formula tells us two things: which elements are present in the compound and the ratio of elements.

Explanation:

The molecular formula AlCl3 tells us that the compound aluminum chloride contains the elements aluminum (Al) and chlorine (Cl).

The formula also tells us that the ratio of aluminum atoms to chlorine atoms is 1:3. For every aluminum atom, there are 3 chlorine atoms.

![aluminumsulfate.net](useruploads.socratic.org)

The molecular formula N2O5 tells us that the compound dinitrogen pentoxide contains the elements nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O).

The formula also tells us that the ratio of nitrogen atoms to oxygen atoms is 2:5. For every 2 nitrogen atoms, there are 5 oxygen atoms.

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