Skip to main content
Chemistry

Return to Question

the question belongs to Chem.SE only ;) also formatted chemistry symbols
Source Link
Gaurang Tandon
Gaurang Tandon
  • 9.9k
  • 12
  • 67
  • 126

Not totally sure if this question belongs here or what to tag it.

An online problem asked me to find the molecular formula of a certain substance given its mass composition. I found that it was $N_5P_5Cl_{10}$$\ce{N_5P_5Cl_{10}}$. It was incorrect and told me the ordering of my symbols was wrong. I switched it to $N_5Cl_{10}P_5$$\ce{N_5Cl_{10}P_5}$ because that's the order that they appear on the periodic table. It marked me wrong again and told me that the answer was $P_5N_5Cl_{10}$$\ce{P_5N_5Cl_{10}}$, but didn't tell me why it must be ordered this way. Is there a convention that must be followed here?

Not totally sure if this question belongs here or what to tag it.

An online problem asked me to find the molecular formula of a certain substance given its mass composition. I found that it was $N_5P_5Cl_{10}$. It was incorrect and told me the ordering of my symbols was wrong. I switched it to $N_5Cl_{10}P_5$ because that's the order that they appear on the periodic table. It marked me wrong again and told me that the answer was $P_5N_5Cl_{10}$, but didn't tell me why it must be ordered this way. Is there a convention that must be followed here?

An online problem asked me to find the molecular formula of a certain substance given its mass composition. I found that it was $\ce{N_5P_5Cl_{10}}$. It was incorrect and told me the ordering of my symbols was wrong. I switched it to $\ce{N_5Cl_{10}P_5}$ because that's the order that they appear on the periodic table. It marked me wrong again and told me that the answer was $\ce{P_5N_5Cl_{10}}$, but didn't tell me why it must be ordered this way. Is there a convention that must be followed here?

edited tags
Link
orthocresol
orthocresol
  • 71.9k
  • 12
  • 249
  • 423
Source Link
Eben Kadile
Eben Kadile
  • 123
  • 4

How must elemental symbols be ordered in the formula for a compound?

Not totally sure if this question belongs here or what to tag it.

An online problem asked me to find the molecular formula of a certain substance given its mass composition. I found that it was $N_5P_5Cl_{10}$. It was incorrect and told me the ordering of my symbols was wrong. I switched it to $N_5Cl_{10}P_5$ because that's the order that they appear on the periodic table. It marked me wrong again and told me that the answer was $P_5N_5Cl_{10}$, but didn't tell me why it must be ordered this way. Is there a convention that must be followed here?