Chemical Formulas

Chemical Formulas - Chemical Reactions
Chemical reactions convert one chemical substance into another. A common example of a chemical substance is pure water. Changes in temperature can change from a liquid (water) to a solid (ice) to a gas (water vapour / steam).

Chemical Formulas - What is a Chemical Formula?
What is a Chemical Formula? A formula in chemistry is a type of shorthand for representing the elements in a compound. Element Symbols are included on the Periodic Table. Symbols from the periodic table are used for the individual elements. e.g. O for oxygen, H for hydrogen, C for carbon, N for nitrogen, Ca for calcium and Na for Sodium. Substances that have two or more atoms bonded together, and therefore more than one element, are called compounds. See Examples of Compounds.

Examples of Chemical Formulas
Examples of chemical formulas and their meanings are explained in Examples of Chemical Formula and Equations. This page provides examples detailing how to write a formula or equation together with examples and the use of subscripts.

Chemical Formulas - Subscripts
Chemical formulas shows the symbols of the elements in the compound and the ratio of the elements to one another. If a substance contains more than one atom of a particular element, this quantity is indicated in chemical formulas using a subscript number after the chemical symbol.

Chemical Formulas - Examples of the use of Subscripts
The subscript refers only to the element it immediately follows. For example in formulas and equations, the chemical formula for water is H2O which indicates that 2 atoms of Hydrogen combines with 1 atom of oxygen. The chemical formula for sodium chloride is NaCl indicating that one atom of sodium combines with one atom of chlorine in a one-to-one ratio. Subscripts are added, following the element symbol, to indicate that the number of atoms of that element in the compound if it is greater than one. For example, the equation for magnesium bromide MgBr2 which indicates that one magnesium atom combines with two bromine atoms.

Common Chemical Formulas List
The following list shows some of the most common formulas for both elements and compounds.

What is the Chemical Formula for Sodium? Na

What is the Chemical Formula for Water? H₂O

What is the Chemical Formula for Glucose? C₆H₁₂O₆

What is the Chemical Formula for Alcohol? C₂H₆O

What is the Chemical Formula for Sulfate Group? CaSO₄

What is the Chemical Formula for Hydrogen Sulfide? H₂S

What is the Chemical Formula for Salt? NaCl

What is the Chemical Formula for Oxygen molecule? O₂

What is the Chemical Formula for Ethanol? C₂H₆O

What is the Chemical Formula for Vinegar? C₂H₄O₂

What is the Chemical Formula for Ammonia? NH₃

What is the Chemical Formula for Magnesium? Mg

What is the Chemical Formula for Acetic Acid? C₂H₄O₂

What is the Chemical Formula for Butane? C₄H₁₀

What is the Chemical Formula for Acetate? CH₃CO₂⁻

What is the Chemical Formula for Nitrate? NO₃⁻

What is the Chemical Formula for Copper? Cu

What is the Chemical Formula for Nitrogen molecule? N₂

What is the Chemical Formula for Carbon Dioxide? CO₂

What is the Chemical for Sulfuric Acid? H₂SO₄

What is the Chemical Formula for Methane? CH₄

What is the Chemical Formula for Sucrose? C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁

What is the Chemical Formula for Propane? C₃H₈

What is the Chemical Formula for Baking Soda? NaHCO₃

What is the Chemical Formula for Fluoride? F

What is the Formula for Fluorine Molecule? F₂

What is the Formula for Hydrogen Peroxide? H₂O₂

Chemical Formula for Caffeine? C₈H₁₀N₄O₂

What is the Formula for Sodium Chloride (Salt)? NaCl

What is the Chemical Formula for Aspirin? C₉H₈O₄

What is the Formula for Hydrochloric Acid? HCl

What is the Chemical Formula for Zinc Nitrate? Zn(NO₃)₂

What is the Chemical Formula for Carbon Monoxide? CO

What is the Formula for Sodium Hydroxide? NaOH

What is the Formula for Cyanide (Sodium Cyanide)? NaCN

What is the for Cyanide (Calcium Cyanide)? Ca(CN)₂

What is the Formula for Gold? Au

What is the Chemical Formula for Iodine? I

What is the Chemical Formula for Tin? Sn

What is the Chemical Formula for Benzene? C₆H₆

What is the Formula for Hydrogen Sulfide? H₂S

Chemical Formula for Acetone? CH₃COCH₃

Chemical Formula for Phosphoric Acid? H₃PO₄

What is the Chemical Formula for Pentane? C₅H₁₂

What is the Chemical Formula for Methanol? CH₃OH

What is the Chemical Formula for Hydrobromic Acid? HBr

Chemical Formula for Carbonic Acid? H₂CO₃

What is the Chemical Formula for Titanium? Ti

What is the Chemical Formula for Sodium Hypochlorite? NaClO

What is the Chemical Formula for Ethane? C2H6

What is the Chemical Formula for Ammonium Sulfate? (NH₄)₂SO₄

What is the Chemical Formula for Octane? C₈H₁₈

What is the Chemical Formula for Copper Sulfate? CuSO₄

What is the Chemical Formula for Cholesterol? C₂₇H₄₆O

What is the Formula for Benzoic Acid? C₇H₆O₂

What is the Formula for Sulfurous Acid? H₂SO₃

What is the Formula for Galactose? C₆H₁₂O₆

What is the Formula for Ascorbic Acid? C₆H₈O₆

What is the Formula for Dry Ice? CO₂

What is the Formula for Sodium Nitrate? NaNO₃

What is the Formula for Calcium Oxide (Quicklime)? CaO

What is the Formula for Iodic Acid? HIO₃

What is the Formula for Lactic Acid? C₃H₆O₃

What is the Formula for Magnesium Bromide? MgBr₂

What is the Formula for Water Vapor? H₂O

What is the Formula for Oxide? No Formula

What is the Formula for Carbon? C

What is the Formula for Hydrogen? H

What is the Formula for Sugar? C_nH_2nO_n

What is the Formula for Sulfate? O₄S^2-

What is the Formula for Nitrous Oxide? N₂O

Formula for Citric Acid? C₆H₈O₇

Formula for Octane? C₈H₁₈

Formula for Camphor? C₁₀H₁₆O

Formula for Silver Oxide? AgI

Formula for Arsenic Trioxide? As₄O₃

Formula for Gold Trioxide? Au₂O₃

Formula for Gold Sulfide? Au₂S

Formula for Bromine? Br₂

Formula for Aluminium foil? Al₂O₃

What is the Chemical Formula for Acid Rain? SO2 (Sulphur dioxide) + NO2 (Nitrogen dioxide) + H2O (Water) = Acid rain