COMPOUNDS AND THEIR PROPORTIONS
All elements are represented by a chemical symbol. It is either a single capital letter, or a capital letter followed by a small letter.
Examples: Ca = calcium Cu = copper
C = carbon N = nitrogen
Combinations of symbols represent compounds. These compounds are called chemical formulas.
Example: H20 2 hydrogen atoms
1 oxygen atom
If no number is shown beside the symbol, a 1 is understood.
If more than 1 atom is present, a small number is shown after the atom to indicate how many atoms are in the compound.
NaHCO3 = Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate (baking soda) 1 atom Na = Sodium
1 atom H = Hydrogen
1 atom C = Carbon
3 atoms O = Oxygen
See also
Building & maintaining an elearning portal is very expensive, that is why you see other eLearning websites charge fees. Help to keep this learning portal free by donating or supporting us. We accept grants, sponsorships & support to help reach out to more people. Thank you so much. Click here to donate