What does the term ‘empirical formula’ represent in chemistry?

The term 'empirical formula' in chemistry refers to the simplest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound. This means that the empirical formula provides a way to represent the composition of a substance by indicating the proportions of each element present, reduced to the smallest integer values.

For example, if a compound is composed of two elements, like carbon and hydrogen, with a molecular formula of C6H12, the empirical formula would be CH2, showing that for every one carbon atom, there are two hydrogen atoms. This representation is particularly useful because it gives a clear and concise summary of the ratio of elements without necessarily detailing the exact number of atoms in a molecule, which would be provided by the molecular formula.

The other choices do not accurately describe the empirical formula. The molecular formula gives actual counts of atoms as opposed to ratios, the structure of the molecule refers to how atoms are arranged in three-dimensional space, and the chemical name of the compound is simply a nomenclature system that identifies substances rather than a formula representation.