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Unit 3: Chemical Formula and Equations(By Lim Kai Yee, SMK Tun Mamat)
Chemical formulae are simply there to describe chemical reactions as denoted by the chemical equations.
1. Relative atomic mass, Ar is the atomic mass of an atom when compared to a standardatom
2. Standard atom:
Hydrogen scale: hydrogen is the lightest atom of all and the mass of one hydrogen atom was assigned 1 unit.
Weakness of Hydrogen scale:
a)not too many elements can react readily with hydrogen,
b)the reactive masses of some elements were not accurate,
c)hydrogen exists as a gas at room temperature and
d)has a number of isotopes with different masses.
Helium scale: the second lightest atom of all and the mass of one helium atom was assigned 1 unit.
Weakness of Helium scale:
a)Mass of 1 helium atom = 4 times the mass of a hydrogen atom
So, mass of 1 helium atom = 4 times 1/12 mass of a carbon atom
b)helium exists as a gas at room temperature and
c)helium is an inert gas.
Oxygen scale: chose as the standard atom to compare the masses of atoms
Weakness of Oxygen scale:
a)the existence of three isotopes of oxygen were discovered,
b)natural oxygen (containing all the three isotopes) as the standard (Chemist) and
c)used the isotopes oxygen-16 as the standard (Physicists).
Carbon scale: standard atom of comparison internationally.
a carbon-12 atom is 12 times heavier than an atom of hydrogen,
a)used as the reference standard in mass spectrometers,
b)exists as a solid at room temperature,
c)most abundant carbon isotope, happening about 98.89% and
d)carbon-12 is close to the agreement based on oxygen.
3. Relative molecular mass, Mr of a substances is the average mass of a molecule (two or more atoms) of the
substances when compared 1/12 with of the mass of a carbon-12 atom.
4. Relative formula mass, Fr is for ionic compound which is calculated by adding up therelative atomic
masses of all the atoms.
5. Example:
Relative atomic mass, Ar of helium = 4
Relative molecular mass, Mr of CO2 = 12 + 2(16) = 44
Relative formula mass, Fr of NaCl = 23 + 35.5 = 58.5
Relative formula mass, Na2CO310H2O = 2(23) + 12 + 3(16) + 10 [2(1) + 16] = 286
6. Italian physicist Amedeo Avogadro (Name at birth: Lorenzo Romano Amedeo Carlo Avogadro)
Born: 9 August 1776
Birthplace: Turin, Piedmont, Italy
Died: 9 July 1856
Best Known As: The guy they named Avogadros number after
7. Avogadro constant / Avogadros number is 6.02 x 10
23

8. Atomic substances
Elements all the particles are atoms.
Example: zinc (Zn), sodium (Na), aluminium (Al) and all noble gases, argon (Ar), helium (He) and neon (Ne).
RAM (Relative Atomic Mass) of Na = 23
9. Molecular substances
Covalent compounds the particles are molecules.
Example: carbon dioxide (CO
2
), water (H
2
O) and non-metal elements, iodine (I
2
), nitrogen (N
2
) and oxygen (O
2
).
RMM (Relative Molecular Mass) of I
2
= 127 + 127 = 254
10. Ionic substances
Ionic compounds the particles are ions.
Example: sodium chloride (NaCl), hydrochloric acid (HCl) and potassium iodide (KI).
RFM (Relative Formula Mass) of HCl = 1 + 35.5 = 36.5
11. Avogadros Law / Gas Law states that equal volumes of all gases contain the same numberof molecules under
the same temperature and pressure.
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Example: equal volumes of molecular hydrogen and nitrogen would contain the same number of molecules
under the same temperature and pressure.
12. Volume of gas (dm
3
) = Number of moles of gas x Molar volume
13. Room temperature and pressure (r.t.p.) = 24 dm
3
mol
-1
(25C and 1 atm)
Example: What is the volume of 5.0 mol helium gas at s.t.p.?
Volume of gas = Number of moles x Molar gas volume
= 5.0 mol x 24 dm
3
mol
-1

= 120 dm
3

14. Standard temperature and pressure (s.t.p.) = 22.4 dm
3
mol
-1
(0C and 1 atm)
Example: What is the volume of 5.0 mol helium gas at s.t.p.?
Volume of gas = Number of moles x Molar gas volume
= 5.0 mol x 22.4 dm
3
mol
-1

= 112 dm
3

15. Mass (g) = Number of moles x Molar mass
16. Number of particles = Number of moles x Avogadro constant
17. Volume (dm
3
) = Number of moles x Molar volume

Empirical and Molecular Formulae
1. Empirical (simplest ratio of atoms of each element that present in the compound) and molecular formulae (actual
number of atoms of each element that are present in one molecule of the compound) indicate:
the types of the elements
the symbols of the elements and the ratio of atoms or
moles of atoms of each element in a compound.
2. Molecular formula = (empirical formula)
n

n is a positive number
Compound Molecular formula n Empirical formula
Carbon dioxide CO
2
1 (CO
2
) = CO
2

Ethane CH
3
2 (CH
3
)
2
= C
2
H
6

Propene CH
2
3 (CH
2
)
3
= C
3
H
6

Glucose CH
2
O 6 (CH
2
O)
6
= C
6
H
12
O
6

Quinine C
10
H
12
NO 2 C
20
H
24
N
2
O
2

3. Chemical formulae for covalent compounds.
Name Chemical formula Number of each element
Nitrogen gas N
2
2 nitrogen atoms
Oxygen gas O
2
2 oxygen atoms
Ammonia NH
3
1 nitrogen atom and 3 hydrogen atoms
Water H
2
O 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom
4. Cations are positively-charged ions.
Charge Cations Formula Charge Cations Formula
+1 Ammonium ion NH
4
+
+2 * Copper(II) ion Cu
2+

+1 * Copper(I) ion Cu
+
+2 * Iron(II) ion Fe
2+

+1 Hydrogen ion H
+
+2 * Lead(II) ion Pb
2+

+1 Lithium ion Li
+
+2 Magnesium ion Mg
2+

+1 * Nickel(I) ion Ni
+
+2 * Manganese(II) ion Mn
2+

+1 Potassium ion K
+
+2 Nickel(II) ion Ni
2+

+1 Silver ion Ag
+
+2 * Tin(II) ion Sn
2+

+1 Sodium ion Na
+
+2 Zinc ion Zn
2+

+2 Barium ion Ba
2+
+3 Aluminium ion Al
3+

+2 Calcium ion Ca
2+
+3 * Chromium(III) ion Cr
3+

+3 * Iron(III) ion Fe
3+
+4 * Tin(IV) ion Sn
4+

+4 * Lead(IV) ion Pb
4+

* refer to the Roman numerals
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5. Anions are negatively-charged ions.
Charge Anions Formula Charge Anions Formula
-1 Bromide ion Br
-
-2 Oxide ion O
2-

-1 Chloride ion Cl
-
-2 Carbonate ion CO
3
2-

-1 Chlorate(V) ion ClO
3
-
-2 Chromate(VI) ion CrO
4
2-

-1 Ethanoate ion CH
3
COO
-
-2 Dichromate(VI) ion Cr
2
O
7
2-

-1 Fluoride ion F
-
-2 Sulphide ion S
2-

-1 Hydride ion H
-
-2 Sulphate ion SO
4
2-

-1 Hydroxide ion OH
-
-2 Sulphite ion SO
3
2-

-1 Iodide ion I
-
-2 Thiosulphate ion S
2
O
3
2-

-1 Manganate(VII) ion MnO
4
-
-3 Nitride ion N
3-

-1 Nitrate ion NO
3
-
-3 Phosphate ion PO
4
3-

-1 Nitrite ion NO
2
-
-3 Phosphite ion PO
3
3-

6. Chemical formulae for ionic compounds
Name Chemical formula Number of cation Number of anion
Zinc chloride ZnCl
2
1 Zn
2+
2 Cl
-

Copper(II) sulphate CuSO
4
2 Cu
2+
2 SO
4
2-

Aluminium sulphate Al
2
(SO
4
)
3
2 Al
3+
3 SO
4
2-

7. Meaning of prefixes
Prefix Meaning Prefix Meaning
Mono- 1 Hexa- 6
Di- 2 Hepta- 7
Tri- 3 Octa- 8
Tetra- 4 Nona- 9
Penta- 5 Deca- 10
8. Naming of chemical (non-metal) compounds with Greek numerical prefixes.
Non-metal compound Chemical formula
Carbon monoxide CO
Carbon dioxide CO
2

Sulphur dioxide SO
2

Sulphur trioxide SO
3

Carbon tetrachloride (tetrachloromethane) CCl
4


Chemical Equation
1. Importance of chemical equation:
The types of reactants; the physical conditions; the quantity of reactants and products and stated in moles.
nA + nB > pC + pD
2. Reactants are written in the left side of the reaction and products are written in the right side of the reaction.
Example 1:
Word equation: Sodium hydroxide + sulphuric acid > sodium sulphate + water
Chemical equation: NaOH + H
2
SO
4
> Na
2
SO
4
+ H
2
O
Balancing equation: 2NaOH + H
2
SO
4
> Na
2
SO
4
+ 2H
2
O
Complete chemical equation: 2NaOH + H
2
SO
4
> Na
2
SO
4
+ 2H
2
O
Example 2:
Word equation: Aluminium + copper(II) oxide > aluminium(III) oxide + copper
Chemical equation: Al + CuO > Al
2
O
3
+ Cu
Balancing equation: 2Al + 3CuO > Al
2
O
3
+ 3Cu
Complete chemical equation: 2Al + 3CuO > Al
2
O
3
+ 3Cu



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Example 3:
Word equation: Nitrogen + hydrogen <> ammonia
Chemical equation: N
2
+ H
2
<> NH
3

Balancing equation: N
2
+ 3H
2
<> 2NH
3

Complete chemical equation: N
2
+ 3H
2
<> 2NH
3

3. Information obtainable from chemical equations.
i) mass of reactants
ii) volume of reacting gas
iii) mass of products formed
iv) volume of gas produced
Example:
2 cm
3
of lead (II) nitrate solution is added to excess of potassium iodide solution.
How many molecules of potassium nitrate will be formed?
[Relative atomic mass: N, 14; O, 16; K, 39; I, 127; Pb, 207; Avogadro's constant: 6.02 x 10
23
mol
-1
]
Step 1: Write a complete chemical equation.
Pb(NO
3
)
2
(aq) + 2KI(aq) > PbI
2
(s) + 2KNO
3
(aq)
From the equation, 1 mole of Pb(NO
3
)
2
reacts with 2 moles of KI formed 1 mole PbI
2
of and2 moles of KNO
3
.
Step 2: Convert to moles.
No. of moles of Pb(NO
3
)
2

= Mass of Pb(NO
3
)
2
/ Relative molecular mass
= 2 / [2018/2/20147 + 2(14 + 3 x 16)]
= 6.04 x 10
-3
mol
Step 3: Ratio of moles.
Number of moles of KNO
3
/ Number of moles of Pb(NO
3
)
2

= 2/1
Number of moles of KNO
3

= (2 x 6.04 x 10
-3
) / 1
= 12.08 x 10
-3
mol
Step 4: Convert to the number of molecules of potassium nitrate.
Number of molecules of KNO
3

= 12.08 x 10
-3
x 6.02 x 10
23

= 7.27 x 10
21