Some chemical formulas, like H2O (a.k.a. water), are almost as familiar to us as the words themselves. But why do we write them the way we do? The answer goes back to ...

For example, the formula H 2 O shows that a water molecule contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

Symbol equations are a quick way of representing chemical reactions. They show us what atoms are involved and how they are bonded together. Symbol equations always take the form, reactants → products.

The chemical bond is defined, and students learn to distinguish between ionic and covalent Introduction to Bonding: The chemical bond is defined, and students learn to distinguish between ionic, ...