How can you determine the empirical formula of a compound?

To determine the empirical formula of a compound, the correct approach involves calculating the relative quantities of each element present in the compound based on the moles of each element. Dividing the number of moles of each element by the smallest number of moles among them allows you to find the simplest whole-number ratio of the elements in the compound. This ratio directly corresponds to the subscripts in the empirical formula, reflecting the minimum ratio of each type of atom in the chemical species.

For instance, if you have a compound composed of two elements, and you've calculated that there are 4 moles of element A and 2 moles of element B, dividing both by the smallest value (which is 2 moles) will yield a ratio of 2:1. This tells you that for every 2 atoms of A, there is 1 atom of B in the compound, leading to an empirical formula of A2B.

The other methods described in the incorrect options do not effectively lead to the empirical formula. Summing atomic masses, multiplying atom counts by their masses, or analyzing color do not provide the necessary information or the correct relationships between the elements needed to derive the empirical formula. Only the method of dividing moles by the smallest m