All Questions
Tagged with notation nomenclature
13 questions
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.
...