The simplest ratio of water is determined by its chemical formula, which directly reveals the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen atoms.
Water's chemical formula is H2O. This formula indicates that each water molecule consists of two hydrogen (H) atoms and one oxygen (O) atom. Therefore, the simplest ratio is:
- Hydrogen : Oxygen = 2 : 1
This 2:1 ratio is both the molecular formula and the empirical formula for water. The molecular formula represents the actual number of atoms in a molecule, and the empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound. In the case of water, these are the same.
Key Takeaways:
- The chemical formula of water is H2O.
- This formula shows that the ratio of hydrogen atoms to oxygen atoms is 2:1.
- The 2:1 ratio is the simplest, or empirical, ratio of water.
