Student Chemistry FAQ: What Are the Different Ways…

What Are the Different Ways to Represent Organic Molecules (Empirical; Molecular; Structural; Skeletal)?

Organic molecules can be represented using empirical, molecular, structural, and skeletal formulas. Each representation communicates a different amount of information about the types, numbers, connectivity, or arrangement of atoms.

This content is part of IB Chemistry Structure 3.2 and is assessed at both SL and HL.

Representation	Information shown	Example using ethanol or glucose
Empirical formula	The simplest whole-number ratio of atoms of each element	Glucose: $\text{CH}_2\text{O}$
Molecular formula	The actual number of atoms of each element in one molecule	Glucose:

What Are the Different Ways to Represent Organic Molecules (Empirical; Molecular; Structural; Skeletal)?

This content is part of IB Chemistry Structure 3.2 and is assessed at both SL and HL.

Representation	Information shown	Example using ethanol or glucose
Empirical formula	The simplest whole-number ratio of atoms of each element	Glucose: $\text{CH}_2\text{O}$
Molecular formula	The actual number of atoms of each element in one molecule	Glucose:

What Are the Different Ways to Represent Organic Molecules (Empirical; Molecular; Structural; Skeletal)?

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MYP Subjects

What Are the Different Ways to Represent Organic Molecules (Empirical; Molecular; Structural; Skeletal)?

How Is the Periodic Table Organized (Periods; Groups; Blocks)?

How Do You Find an Element's Electron Configuration From Its Position in the Periodic Table?

What Are Alkali Metals, Halogens, Transition Elements, and Noble Gases?

What Are Periodicity and Periodic Trends?