Answer to Question #73978 in General Chemistry for Kristina

Question

Molecular formulas are?

Answer 1

Molecular formula is the abbreviation of the composition of molecules of a substance with the help of chemical symbols.

The molecular formula defines the name of the substance, the molecule of this substance (for substances of a non-molecular structure of a formula unit), of which the elements are composed of this substance, how many atoms of each element is part of the molecule of this substance, the molecular weight of matter.

In contrast to the structural formula, the molecular formula does not determine the order of the connection of atoms in the molecule, therefore, due to the phenomenon of isomerism does not determine the substance (and its name) unambiguously.

However, the molecular formula is usually written in such a way as to give a certain hint of the structure of the molecule.