What is the difference between a molecular and a structural formula?

Answer 1

A chemical formula that shows how atoms are arranged within a molecule or polyatomic ion and a molecular formula shows the number of the atoms that makes up the molecule.
A molecular formula indicates the numbers and types of elements in one molecule of a substance. A structural formula indicates how the atoms are bonded to one another. Some examples include:

water: H2O, H-O-H

carbon dioxide: CO2, O=C=O

oxygen: O2, O=O

In a structural formula, each line represents a single covalent bond (one pair of shared electrons) between the atoms, and a double line represents a double covalent bond (two pairs of shared electrons) between the atoms.

Answer 2

A molecular formula shows only the elements present in a compound and the number of atoms of each element present in one molecule (or one formula weight for ionic compounds. A structural formula also shows the particular atom(s) to which another atom of the compound is bonded in one molecule of the compound, if the compound has true molecules. Ionic compounds do not generally have structural formulas, although their crystal habit might be considered an analogue of a structural formula.

Answer 3

In molecular formula you see how many atoms of each element the compound contains like C2H5CO2C2H5 (ester) Ethyl ethanoate

In structural formula you see how the atoms are arranged like Ethyl ethanoate would be

H H O H

HC=C-C-O-C=C

H H

Answer 4

A molecular formula indicates the numbers and kinds of atoms in one molecule of a substance. The structural formula shows how the atoms fit together in the molecule. For example, water has the molecular formula of H2O and the structural formula of H-O-H.

Answer 5

A molecular formula shows the actual number and types of atoms present in a molecule (e.g. H2O for water), while a structural formula shows how the atoms are connected within the molecule, often indicating the arrangement of atoms and bonds (e.g. H-O-H for water).

Answer 6

molecular formula actually gives the no of different atoms in a molecule or compound where as the structural formula tells us how the different atoms in a compound are connected to each other

Answer 7

The first is only a brutto formula, the second give an indication about the molecular structure.