Final answer:
The formulas for compounds represent the symbols and numbers of each atom in the compound, either in a simplest whole number ratio as an empirical formula or the actual number of atoms in a molecular formula. Sodium chloride is an example of an empirical formula, whereas sodium oxalate has a formula that represents the exact structure rather than the simplest ratio.
Step-by-step explanation:
The formulas for compounds refer to the symbols and numbers of each atom present in a compound in the lowest whole number ratio. These formulas can be empirical or molecular.
An empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of the elements in a compound, while a molecular formula indicates the actual numbers of atoms in a molecule of the compound. For example, the empirical formula of hydrogen peroxide is H_O, demonstrating a 1:1 ratio of hydrogen to oxygen, but the molecular formula is H₂O₂, which shows that each molecule contains two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms.
Ionic compounds often have a formula that reflects the numbers of their constituent ions. Take sodium chloride (NaCl) as an example; it's comprised of equal numbers of sodium ions (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-), which is also its empirical formula. But in other cases, such as sodium oxalate (Na₂C₂O₄), the formula indicates a 2:1 ratio of sodium ions to oxalate ions (C₂O₄²-), and this formula is not in the smallest whole number ratio, though it accurately represents the structure of the compound.