Chemical Formula of Common Compounds
Last Updated :
07 Feb, 2024
Chemical Formulas of compounds are symbolic representations of their chemical composition. They tell us about which elements the chemical compound is made of and in what ratio.
In this article, we will learn about the chemical formulae of some common compounds in detail.
Chemical formula is a representation of a substance’s molecular composition in terms of the symbols representing the components that make up the molecule. Molecular formula is another name for a chemical formula.
An element’s or a compound’s chemical formula can be used. A chemical formula is a technique of presenting information on the chemical proportions of atoms that make up a chemical compound or molecule using chemical element symbols, numbers, and other symbols like parentheses, dashes, brackets, and commas.
Chemical formula of an element is a description of the molecule’s composition, with the symbol indicating the element and the subscript indicating the number of atoms in one molecule.
Since one molecule of hydrogen contains two hydrogen atoms, the formula for hydrogen is H2. One molecule of hydrogen element includes two hydrogen atoms, according to the formula H2. Also, 2H denotes two separate hydrogen atoms, H2 denotes one hydrogen molecule, and 2H2 denotes two hydrogen molecules.
The following table lists the molecular formulas for some of the most common elements:
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Elements and their Symbols
|
|
Elements
|
Formula
|
|
Hydrogen
|
H2
|
|
Chlorine
|
Cl2
|
|
Oxygen
|
O2
|
|
Bromine
|
Br2
|
|
Nitrogen
|
N2
|
|
Iodine
|
I2
|
|
Phosphorous
|
P4
|
Chemical formula of a compound represents the elements present in the substance’s molecule in terms of their symbols. It is a description of its composition in which the chemical symbols indicate which elements are present and the subscripts indicate how many atoms of each element are present in one molecule.
Chemical formulas and elements found in several common molecular compounds are listed below.
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Chemical Compounds and their Formulae
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|
Compound
|
Formula
|
Elements present
|
| Carbon dioxide |
CO2
|
C and O
|
| Water |
H2O
|
H and O
|
| Sulphur dioxide |
SO2
|
S and O
|
| Ammonia |
NH3
|
N and H
|
| Hydrogen chloride |
HCl
|
H and Cl
|
| Methane |
CH4
|
C and H
|
| Ethanol |
C2H5OH
|
C, H, and O
|
| Hydrogen sulphide |
H2S
|
H and S
|
There are various types of chemical formulae and all the chemical formulae represent different attribute of the chemical compound. In general the chemical formula represent the molecular formula of the compound that is the representation of the molecule of the compound.
There are three general types of chemical formulae that are,
- Molecular Formula
- Emperical Formula
- Structural Formula
Now let’s learn about them in detail.
Molecular Formula
The molecular formula of any compound represent the molecule of the compound and it tells us that how many atoms and in which ratio they are combined to form that compound.
The molecular formula of Glucose is C6H12O6 it tells us that in forming a glucose molecule we require 6 carbon atoms, 12 hydrogen atoms and 6 oxygen atoms.
Emperical Formula
The empirical formula of any compound tells us that how many atoms are required to a compound. It also tells us the ratio in which the atoms combine to form the compounds. For example the empirical formula for glucose is CH2O this tells us that in forming glucose we need carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atom in 1:2:1 ratio.
Structural Formula
The structural formula of any compound tells us the exact structure of the compound its tell us which atom forms bond with which atom in forming the compound.
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List of Common Chemical Compounds
The list of some common chemical compound of chemistry are tabulated below with their properties and general uses.
| Common Name |
Chemical Formula |
Chemical Name |
General Uses |
| Baking Soda |
NaHCO3 |
Sodium Bicarbonate |
It is used for baking purposes. |
| Bleaching Powder |
CaOCl2 |
Calcium Oxychloride |
It is used as a disinfectant and as a bleaching agent. |
| Blue Vitriol |
CuSO4.xH2O |
Copper Sulphate |
It is used for fungus control. |
| Borax |
Na2[B4O5(OH)4].8H2O |
Sodium Borate |
It is used for manufacturing detergent. |
| Carbolic Acid |
C6H5OH |
Phenol |
It is used as a home cleaner and disinfectant. |
| Caustic Potash |
KOH |
Potassium Hydroxide |
It is used in the manufacturing of fertilizers and soaps |
| Chloroform |
CHCl3 |
Trichloro methane |
It is used as a solvent and is used in manufacturing floor polish. |
| Common Salt |
NaCl |
Sodium Chloride |
It is used for flavouring and preserving food. |
| Dry Ice |
CO2 |
Solid Carbon Dioxide |
It is used as a food preservative. |
| Galena |
PbS |
Lead(II) Sulphide |
It is used in pottery. |
| Green Vitriol |
FeSO4.7H2O |
Ferrous Sulphate Heptahydrate |
It is used in the treatment of sewage water |
| Gypsum |
CuSO4.2H2O |
Calcium Sulphate dihydrate |
It is used in home manufacturing. |
| Heavy Water |
D2O |
Deuterium Oxide |
It is used as a moderator in nuclear reactors. |
| Laughing Gas |
N2O |
Nitrous Oxide |
It is used by dentists. |
| Quick lime |
CaO |
Calcium Oxide |
It is used in iron and steel manufacturing. |
| Slacked lime |
Ca(OH)2 |
Calcium Hydroxide |
It is used in plaster and mortar |
| Lime Stone |
CaCO3 |
Calcium Carbonate |
It is used as marble |
| Caustic Soda |
NaOH |
Sodium Hydroxide |
It is used in the manufacturing of paper, aluminium and other. |
| Marsh Gas |
CH4 |
Methane |
It is a poisonous gas which is mainly found in mines. |
| Milk of Magnesia |
Mg(OH)2 |
Magnesium Hydroxide |
It is used as an antacid. |
| Spirit of Niter |
HNO3 |
Nitric Acid |
It is used in the production of fertilizers and explosives. |
| Muriatic Acid |
HCl |
Hydrochloric Acid |
It is used in food and leather processing. |
| Oil of Vitriol |
H2SO4 |
Sulphuric Acid |
It is used in the manufacturing of fertilizers. |
| Plaster of Paris |
CaSO4.1/2H2O |
Calcium Sulphate Hemihydrate |
It is used as a protective coating for walls. |
| Quick Silver |
Hg |
Mercury |
It is used in barometers and clinical thermometers. |
Importance of Chemical Formulae
The importance of Chemical Formulae of Compounds is mentioned below:
- Compound’s name is represented by a formula.
- Names of all the elements in the molecule are given in formulae.
- Number of atoms of each element contained in a molecule is given by formulae.
- One molecule of a compound is represented by a formula.
- Formulae denote a definite mass of a substance.
Related :
What is Chemical Formula of Compounds?
The chemical formula of any compound represents the atoms and their ratio that are used to form a compound. For example the chemical compound for carbon dioxide is CO2 that tells us that in forming a carbon dioxide we need one carbon molecule that is attached with two oxygen molecules.
What is Difference between O2 and 2O?
O2 indicates that one molecule of oxygen element contains 2 atoms of oxygen and 2O indicates two separate atoms of oxygen.
What is Chemical Formula of Sodium Chloride?
The chemical formula for Sodium Chloride is NaCl. It is also called common salt.
What is Chemical Formula of Bleaching Powder?
The chemical formula for Bleaching Powder is CaOCl2
What is Chemical Formula of Baking Soda?
The chemical formula of baking soda is NaHCO3. It is also known as sodium bicarbonate.
What is Chemical Formula of Glucose?
The chemical formula of glucose is C6H12O6. It is a simple sugar, also known as a monosaccharide.
What is Chemical Formula of Sucrose?
The chemical formula of sucrose is C12H22O11.
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