<P> In chemistry, the empirical formula of a chemical compound is the simplest positive integer ratio of atoms present in a compound . A simple example of this concept is that the empirical formula of sulfur monoxide, or SO, would simply be SO, as is the empirical formula of disulfur dioxide, S O . This means that sulfur monoxide and disulfur dioxide, both compounds of sulfur and oxygen, will have the same empirical formula . However, their chemical formulas, which express the number of atoms in each molecule of a chemical compound, may not be the same . </P> <P> An empirical formula makes no mention of the arrangement or number of atoms . It is standard for many ionic compounds, like calcium chloride (CaCl), and for macromolecules, such as silicon dioxide (SiO). </P>

What is the empirical formula of a compound