Chapter 17, Problem 18RQ

What does the chemical formula of a substance tell us about that substance?

To determine

The information provided by a chemical formula

Answer to Problem 18RQ

Chemical formula of a substance tells about its constituent elements and their proportion.

Explanation of Solution

Chemical formula consists of elements symbol with some subscripts. For example, chemical formula of carbon dioxide gas is ${\text{CO}}_2$. $\text{C}$ is symbol for element carbon and $\text{O}$ is symbol for element oxygen. The subscript of $\text{C}$ is $1$ and of $\text{O}$ is $2$ which indicates that a molecule of carbon dioxide consists of $1$ atom of carbon and $2$ atoms of oxygen.

Conclusion:

Therefore, a chemical formula of a substance tells the atoms which is present in that substance and also the ratio of atoms.