The empirical formula is N₂O₅.
The empirical formula is the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound.
The ratio of atoms is the same as the ratio of moles, so our job is to calculate the molar ratio of N:O.
I like to summarize the calculations in a table.
Element Moles Ratio¹ ×2² Integers³
N 1.85 1 2 2
O 4.63 2.503 5.005 5
¹To get the molar ratio, you divide each number of moles by the smallest number (1.85).
²Multiply these values by a number (2) that makes the numbers in the ratio close to integers.
³Round off the number in the ratio to integers (2 and 5).
The empirical formula is N₂O₅.
