chemical formula
A "chemical formula" succinctly represents the composition of molecules and compounds using element symbols and numerical subscripts.
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Definition
B2General Chemistry
(technical, academic)A symbolic notation showing the types and quantities of atoms in a molecule or compound.
Example
- H2O is the chemical formula for water, indicating two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
- The chemical formula for glucose is C6H12O6.
B2Chemical Composition
(technical, academic)A representation using element symbols and subscripts to denote the number of each type of atom in a substance.
Example
- NaCl is the chemical formula for sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "chemical formula":
chemical symbolchemical compoundchemical structurechemical nomenclature