Question

what is the empirical formula for NH4NO2

Answer 1

The empirical formula tells you the RATIO of each atom in a compound. For NH4NO2, we can rewrite it as N2H4O2. The ratio of these atoms to each other is 1N:2H:1O so the empirical formula is NH2O.

Answer 2

o i c. i didn't know i could combine them like that lol. i thought that we had to keep them separate.

Answer 3

Nope - the chemical formula just tells you how many of each atom are in a single molecule of your compound. For instance, acetic acid is often written as CH3COOH, but it could just as easily be written C2H4O2. When you write it the first way though, it gives you a hint about the structure of the molecule. The second chemical formula could apply to many other compounds with the same atoms but with different arrangements.