Skeletal formula
A skeletal formula is like a map that shows how different atoms are connected to each other in a molecule. Atoms are the tiny building blocks that make up everything in the world, like a bunch of Legos.
In a skeletal formula, the symbols of the atoms that make up the molecule are written out in a special way. Instead of drawing out all the bonds between the atoms, the formula just shows lines that represent the connections between them.
For example, imagine a molecule called methane. Methane is made up of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. A skeletal formula for methane would just look like a capital “C” in the middle with four lines branching out from it, each ending in an “H” symbol. This tells us that there is one carbon atom connected to four hydrogen atoms.
Skeletal formulas make it easy for scientists to show how different molecules are put together and to predict how they might behave. They’re like a secret code that chemists can use to understand how all sorts of things, from medicine to plastics to gasoline, work on a molecular level.
In a skeletal formula, the symbols of the atoms that make up the molecule are written out in a special way. Instead of drawing out all the bonds between the atoms, the formula just shows lines that represent the connections between them.
For example, imagine a molecule called methane. Methane is made up of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. A skeletal formula for methane would just look like a capital “C” in the middle with four lines branching out from it, each ending in an “H” symbol. This tells us that there is one carbon atom connected to four hydrogen atoms.
Skeletal formulas make it easy for scientists to show how different molecules are put together and to predict how they might behave. They’re like a secret code that chemists can use to understand how all sorts of things, from medicine to plastics to gasoline, work on a molecular level.