Name_____________________________________
Reading Chemical Formulas - KEY
Per. ______
Reading the chemical formula recipe includes five rules:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Each element is described starting with a capital letter. Lower case letter stay with the capital before them.
A subscript tells how many of that type of atom are in that type of matter.
If subscripts come after parentheses, it tells how many of everything in the parenthesis.
Numbers before elements tells how many of everything that follows
A dot () in the middle means “and this many of . . ” whatever follows the number after the dot.
Common/Household Chemical Name
Name
Chemical
Formula
Atomic
Symbol
Elements
Number of
Atoms
C9H8O4
C
H
O
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
9
8
4
Al2Cl(OH)5
Al
Cl
O
H
Aluminum
Chlorine
Oxygen
Hydrogen
2
1
5
5
C
C
Carbon
1
Aspirin®*
acetylsalicylic acid
Antiperspirant
aluminum chlorohydrate
Diamond
carbon
Egg shells
calcium carbonate
CaCO3
Ca
C
O
Calcium
Carbon
Oxygen
1
1
3
Formalin
40% solution of
+
formaldehyde
CH2O
C
H
O
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
1
2
1
Gypsum
calcium sulfate dihydrate CaSO4⋅2H2O
Ca
S
O
H
Calcium
Sulfur
Oxygen
Hydrogen
1
1
6
4
Liquid paper*
titanium dioxide
TiO2
Ti
O
Titanium
Oxygen
1
2
MSG
monosodium glutamate
C5H8NNaO4
C
H
N
Na
O
Carbon
Hydrogen
Nitrogen
Sodium
Oxygen
5
8
1
1
4
Nutrasweet®*
aspartame
C14H18N2O5
C
H
N
O
Carbon
Hydrogen
Nitrogen
Oxygen
14
18
2
5
Sugar (Table Sugar)
sucrose
C12H22O11
C
H
O
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
12
22
11
Tylenol®*
acetaminophen
C8H9NO2
C
H
N
O
Carbon
Hydrogen
Nitrogen
Oxygen
8
9
1
2
¶
¶
From: http://www.ivy-rose.co.uk/Chemistry/GCSE/Common-Chemicals-in-the-Home_Molecular-Formulae.php