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What is the empirical formula for ammonia?

Published in Chemistry Formulas 1 min read

The empirical formula for ammonia is NH3.

Ammonia is a chemical compound composed of one nitrogen atom and three hydrogen atoms. Its molecular formula is NH3, which represents the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule of ammonia. Since the ratio of nitrogen to hydrogen is already in its simplest whole-number form (1:3), the empirical formula is the same as the molecular formula. The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound. Because the ratio of N to H is 1:3, and this is already the simplest whole-number ratio, the empirical formula is indeed NH3.

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