What does the chemical formula of a compound tell you about the compound?

1 Answer
Jul 5, 2017

It tells you the elements in the compound as well as how many of each are in it.

For example, the chemical formula for glucose is "C"_6"H"_12"O"_6.

This tells you that there are 6 carbon atoms, 12 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms in one molecule of glucose.

We can also think of a compound in terms of moles, where 1 mole of "C"_6"H"_12"O"_6", contains 6 moles C atoms, 12 moles H atoms, and 6 moles O atoms.