The empirical formula of methane is CH4.
Methane's molecular formula is CH4. The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound. Since methane's molecular formula (CH4) already has the simplest 1:4 ratio of carbon to hydrogen, it is also its empirical formula. In other words, you cannot divide the subscripts in CH4 by any common factor to get a simpler ratio. Therefore, the empirical formula remains CH4.
