What does the bracket in a chemical formula mean?

Answer 1

think of it like math. In a basic math equation you have

4x5=20

in a more advanced one you will get things like these

4(5x7)=140

4x(5x7)

5x7=35

4x35=140

so in chemistry it is the same logic

K4Fe(CN)6 + 6 H2SO4 + 6 H2O -> 2 K2SO4 + FeSO4 + 3 (NH4)2SO4 + 6 CO

so just do the outside equation after the initial parenthesis equations.

Answer 2

Well it kinda means that there is a compound that occurs a little before the non bracketed atoms do *Scrounges face*, that's surly a bad way to describe it, but i think my example will do.

Well a good example to me would be tin(II) nitrate, also shown as S(NO2)2

lets break it down and just look at the NO2: O-N=O

as you can see, the oxygen on the end still has one valance electron, and the tin wants 2, so if we double the NO2, than we have enough to satisfy the tin.

this will give us: O=N-O-S-O-N=O aka S(NO2)2

We also show chemicals this way, because it makes it more clear on how the molecule has bonded to the other atom(s), and as we should all know, the same atoms with a different configuration can do different things...

Answer 3

The brackets are used to show the number of the species in a 1 molecule of a certain compound. For example, in the case of Iron (III) Sulfate, the formula is Fe2(SO4)3 , there are 3 sulfate ions in a single molecule.

Answer 4

Usually concentration. pH is said to be -log[H3O+], or the negative log of the hydronium concentration.

Answer 5

It means that it is the concentration of that ion. for example, [h30] is the concentration of h30+ ions!

Answer 6

Brackets are used for complicated chemical formulas as complex compounds.

Answer 7

Counting atoms