ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Chemical structure diagram

Okay, so you know how when you draw a picture of something, you use lines and shapes to show what it looks like? Well, chemical structure diagrams are kind of like pictures of chemicals.

Chemical structure diagrams show how all the little pieces that make up a chemical are arranged. These little pieces are called atoms, and they come in different types, like oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. Think of them like building blocks that can be put together to make different things, just like Legos!

The atoms are connected to each other by lines, kind of like how Legos are connected by those little nubby things. These lines show us how the atoms are stuck together, and how they make up the chemical.

Sometimes, the chemical structure diagram also shows how the atoms are arranged in three dimensions. In other words, it shows how they stick out from the page or screen, instead of just being flat like a regular drawing.

These diagrams can be really helpful for scientists who are trying to understand how chemicals work, and how they interact with each other. It's kind of like a secret code that tells them all about the chemical, even without having to see or touch it in real life.

So there you have it, a chemical structure diagram is just a special drawing that shows all the little building blocks that make up a chemical, and how they're connected to each other.