Chemical Formula
Jean Brainard, Ph.D.
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Printed: October 8, 2013
AUTHOR
Jean Brainard, Ph.D.
www.ck12.org
C ONCEPT
Concept 1. Chemical Formula
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Chemical Formula
• Define chemical formula.
• Explain how to write a chemical formula.
• Identify the ratio of different elements in a compound from its chemical formula.
You can make a simple salad dressing using just the two ingredients pictured above: oil and vinegar. Recipes for
oil-and-vinegar salad dressing vary, but they typically include about three parts oil to one part vinegar, or a ratio of
3:1. For example, if you wanted to make a cup of salad dressing, you could mix together 34 cup of oil and 14 cup
of vinegar. Chemical compounds also have “ingredients” in a certain ratio. However, unlike oil-and-vinegar salad
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dressing, a chemical compound always has exactly the same ratio of elements. This ratio can be represented by a
chemical formula.
Representing Compounds
In a chemical formula, the elements in a compound are represented by their chemical symbols, and the ratio of
different elements is represented by subscripts. Consider the compound water as an example. Each water molecule
contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Therefore, the chemical formula for water is:
H2 O
The subscript 2 after the H shows that there are two atoms of hydrogen in the molecule. The O for oxygen has no
subscript. When there is just one atom of an element in a molecule, no subscript is used in the chemical formula.
Formulas for Ionic and Covalent Compounds
The Table 1.1 shows four examples of compounds and their chemical formulas. The first two compounds are ionic
compounds, and the second two are covalent compounds. Each formula shows the ratio of ions or atoms that make
up the compound.
TABLE 1.1: Compounds and Their Chemical Formulas
Name of Compound
Type of Compound
Sodium chloride
ionic
Calcium iodide
ionic
Hydrogen peroxide
covalent
Carbon dioxide
covalent
Ratio of Ions or Atoms of
Each Element
1 sodium ion (Na+ ) 1
chloride ion (Cl− )
1 calcium ion (Ca2+ ) 2 iodide ions (I− )
2 hydrogen atoms (H) 2
oxygen atoms (O)
1 carbon atom (C) 2 oxygen atoms (O)
Chemical Formulas
NaCl
CaI2
H2 O2
CO2
There is a different rule for writing the chemical formula for each type of compound.
Ionic compounds are compounds in which positive metal ions and negative nonmetal ions are joined by ionic bonds.
In these compounds, the chemical symbol for the positive metal ion is written first, followed by the symbol for the
negative nonmetal ion. The video at the following URL gives a fuller explanation of ionic compounds and their
formulas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vscoYh6m46M.
MEDIA
Click image to the left for more content.
• Q: The ionic compound lithium fluoride consists of a ratio of one lithium ion (Li+ ) to one fluoride ion (F− ).
What is the chemical formula for this compound?
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Concept 1. Chemical Formula
• A: The chemical formula is LiF.
Covalent compounds are compounds in which nonmetals are joined by covalent bonds. In these compounds, the
element that is farther to the left in the periodic table is written first, followed by the element that is farther to the
right. If both elements are in the same group of the periodic table, the one with the higher period number is written
first. The following URL gives a fuller explanation of covalent compounds and their formulas: http://www.youtu
be.com/watch?v=ZTMHbKtgI-M.
MEDIA
Click image to the left for more content.
• Q: A molecule of the covalent compound nitrogen dioxide consists of one nitrogen atom (N) and two oxygen
atoms (O). What is the chemical formula for this compound?
• A: The chemical formula is NO2 .
Summary
• Compounds are represented by chemical formulas. Elements in a compound are represented by chemical
symbols, and the ratio of different elements is represented by subscripts.
• There are different rules for writing the chemical formulas for ionic and covalent compounds.
Vocabulary
• chemical formula: Symbol of a chemical compound using element symbols and subscripts to represent the
ratio of atoms in the compound.
Practice
At the following URL, do the online learning activity on chemical formulas. Then take the quiz at the end of the
activity to check your comprehension.
http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=GCH603
Review
1. Complete the following analogy: A chemical symbol is to an element as a chemical formula is to a(n) __________.
2. The compound sodium sulfide consists of a ratio of one sodium ion (Na+ ) to two sulfide ions (S2− ). Write the
chemical formula for this compound.
3. A molecule of sulfur dioxide consists of one sulfur atom (S) and two oxygen atoms (O). What is the chemical
formula for this compound?
4. Identify the ratio of atoms in the compound represented by the following chemical formula: N2 O5 .
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