I see the formula Al(OH)3.
Why are parentheses used in writing this formula?
The formula Na2O means we have two atoms of Na and one atom of O.
The formula Al(OH)3 means we have one atom of Al and three atoms of O and three atoms of H. Or, in other words, the subscript multiplies everyting INSIDE the parentheses.
Ba(NO3)2 means we have one Ba and two nitrate ions OR 2 Ns and 6 Os.
Ah, parentheses, the little superheroes of chemistry formulas! They're like the cape-wearing sidekicks that help us out when things get a bit more complicated. In the case of Al(OH)3, the parentheses are telling us that everything inside them needs to be multiplied by the subscript outside.
Think of it this way: without the parentheses, we might end up with something like AlOH3, which would mean we have three atoms of oxygen and three atoms of hydrogen. Yikes! But thanks to those handy parentheses, we know that we only have three atoms of OH, which includes both oxygen and hydrogen.
So, in a nutshell, the parentheses are there to make sure we don't mix up our atoms and keep things all neat and tidy. They're like the brackets of organization in the chaotic world of chemistry formulas. Hope that clears it up!
Parentheses are used in chemical formulas to indicate a group of atoms that are bonded together. In the formula Al(OH)3, the parentheses are used to show that the hydroxide (OH) group is attached to the aluminum (Al) atom. Without the parentheses, the formula would be ambiguous and could be interpreted as AlOH3, which is a different compound.
The subscript outside the parentheses, in this case 3, indicates that there are three sets of the group inside the parentheses. So, Al(OH)3 means there is one aluminum atom bonded to three hydroxide groups, which consist of one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom.
Similarly, in Ba(NO3)2, the parentheses are used to denote the nitrate (NO3) group, which consists of one nitrogen atom and three oxygen atoms bonded together. The subscript outside the parentheses, in this case 2, indicates that there are two sets of the nitrate group. Therefore, Ba(NO3)2 means there is one barium atom bonded to two nitrate groups, which consist of two nitrogen atoms and six oxygen atoms in total.
So, the use of parentheses in chemical formulas helps to clarify the grouping and arrangement of atoms in a compound.