Step 1: Find the moles of each element in one molecule.
- Moles of C = 6
- Moles of H = 12
- Moles of O = 6
Step 2: Divide the moles of each element by the smallest number of moles. In this case, the smallest number of moles is 6.
- Moles of C = 6 / 6 = 1
- Moles of H = 12 / 6 = 2
- Moles of O = 6 / 6 = 1
Step 3: Write the empirical formula using the simplified ratio of moles.
- Empirical formula = CH2O
Therefore, the empirical formula of a compound with molecular C6H12O6 is CH2O.