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7 votes
2 answers
2k views

Hyphenation of chemical names

When a word has to be split broken into multiple lines, it is almost always hyphenated. Chemical names can be considered words, or at least they consist of words. So the hyphenation should apply to ...
-3 votes
1 answer
1k views

What does $n$ represent in "hydrated compound⋅nH2O"? [closed]

On Wikipedia it is written that in "hydrated compound⋅nH2O" $n$ is the number of water molecules per formula unit of the salt. I don't understand what that means and this is indicated in ...
5 votes
1 answer
110 views

Symbol to denote a group which is either an oxygen atom or NH group

I'm drawing the generic structure of several different organic molecules in my thesis. They share some features, one of which is a carbonyl carbon attached to either an oxygen atom (i.e. ester) or an $...
5 votes
1 answer
3k views

Is it wrong to write a coefficient of 1 in a chemical equation?

Take $$\ce{2H2 + O2 -> 2H2O}$$ Is it wrong to write $$\ce{2H2 + 1O2 -> 2 H2O}$$ By wrong I mean that it is against a widely accepted guideline (those of the IUPAC?), not just "your teacher said ...
3 votes
3 answers
7k views

Drawing the condensed structure of ethylcyclobutane

The IUPAC name for this is ethylcyclobutane. I know that the formula is $\ce{C6H12}$. I have no problems drawing the skeletal structure, but I have a little difficulty drawing the condensed structure....
14 votes
2 answers
14k views

Correctness of writing H3C as opposed to CH3 in a carbon chain

I have been studying alkanes, alkenes & alkynes for a while, and I see in the examples that all the basic structural formulas start with $\ce{CH3}$, then $\ce{CH2}$, and the last carbon atom is $\...
13 votes
3 answers
3k views

What does a comma signify in inorganic chemistry?

$\ce{(Ca{,}Co)CO3}$ I have never ever seen this before. What does this mean exactly?
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Phase description for a substance dissolved in a solvent other than water?

I'm trying to write an equation for which I have $\ce{CuI}$ dissolved in acetonitrile. Usually if you have a salt dissolved in water you can denote that using $\ce{(aq)}$, but is there a notation for ...
2 votes
1 answer
94 views

Using Roman Numerals to indicate a compound

I don't completely understand it's use. Here's an example I don't understand: Shortly after discussing $\ce{[CuCl4]^2-}$, an exam paper asked a question about copper(II) chloride. I understand that ...
10 votes
1 answer
448 views

What is the correct way to notate conformation preferences of polysaccharides?

In some webpages (1 or 2) are found the way to notate the conformational preferences of monosaccharides such as furanose and pyranose. But, it lacks to give a brief description on how to do it with ...
9 votes
1 answer
687 views

How to accurately abbreviate solvents?

IUPAC Red Book in section IR-4.4.4 Ligand abbreviations [1, p. 63] states the following: N.B. Abbreviations for solvents that behave as ligands should also be in lower case letters [e.g. dmso for ...
12 votes
2 answers
1k views

Can isotopes of a given element be represented by different symbols?

Can isotopes of any given element be represented using a completely different chemical symbol? What's the IUPAC's take on this? Sure, ordinarily you would add the isotope's mass as a superscript to ...
44 votes
1 answer
7k views

Why is methane's molecular formula conventionally "CH₄", while water is "H₂O" (among others)?

While revisiting some of my old notes about the Miller-Urey experiment, I stumbled across the "equation"... Electricity + $\ce{CH4~/~ NH3~/~H2O~/~CO}$ = Amino Acids This got me thinking. ...