How do you read these formulas?
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If you're asking how to pronounce the chemical formulas, just pronounce the letters and the numbers in the order presented. However, that can get a bit confusing when you have parenthetical formulas as in your examples, since it might not be clear when you have to read two numbers simultaneously that the 2nd number is outside the parenthesis, unless the listener is familiar with the formula.
In such cases, it's better to read the name, not the formula, or write it out.
In such cases, it's better to read the name, not the formula, or write it out.
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Another way would be to name and quantify the radicals:
1. A calcium atom bonded to two nitrate radicals.
2. Two aluminum atoms bonded to three sulfate radicals.
1. A calcium atom bonded to two nitrate radicals.
2. Two aluminum atoms bonded to three sulfate radicals.
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I'd say that some of the simpler common formulas are read aloud fairly commonly. Particularly with all the buzz about greenhouse gasses and such, terms such as CO2. are quite commonly heard as 'See-oh two'. In the context of a science lesson you might hear some of the simpler formulas read that way as well. Water is another common one, although you do tend to hear it as 'water' more than you do H20.
In my region, where the oilfields are a major regional employer, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas is a huge safety risk, so our local community college offers safety certifications for the general public a couple times a year.
It's so commonly discussed that most people around here do refer to it as "Eitch two Ess". Possibly because it's shorter to say than 'hydrogen sulfide'. Again, if roughly a fourth the regional workforce weren't employed in the field, I wouldn't expect the term to be so common.
But for the most part, people stick to the names. The average person, despite probably having some chemistry in high school and possibly college isn't going to remember many chemical formulas.
In my region, where the oilfields are a major regional employer, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas is a huge safety risk, so our local community college offers safety certifications for the general public a couple times a year.
It's so commonly discussed that most people around here do refer to it as "Eitch two Ess". Possibly because it's shorter to say than 'hydrogen sulfide'. Again, if roughly a fourth the regional workforce weren't employed in the field, I wouldn't expect the term to be so common.
But for the most part, people stick to the names. The average person, despite probably having some chemistry in high school and possibly college isn't going to remember many chemical formulas.
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This reminds me of a cute bit of doggerel from childhood:
Little Jimmy's gone to heaven
To sleep forevermore
Cause what he thought was H2O was H2SO4.
Little Jimmy's gone to heaven
To sleep forevermore
Cause what he thought was H2O was H2SO4.
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Hah, our high school chemistry teacher had a similar version of that rhyme posted on the lab refrigerator directly under the sign stating "No Food Storage".
Our version was:
Johnny was a chemist's son, but Johnny is no more
What he thought was H20 was H2SO4
Side note: This thread has made me acutely aware that our editor lacks subscript and superscript.
Edit: I found a version with a second verse, copied below if you don't want to download the PDF.
Johnny was a chemist, but Johnny is no more,
‘Cuz what he thought was H2O was H2SO4!
Johnny, as we heard before, drank some H2SO4.
Johnny's mother, an M.D., gave him CaCO3.
Now he's neutralized it's true, but he is full of CO2.
Regardless of the version, these little ditties all require you to read the formulas as letter/number combinations to keep any sense of meter.
Our version was:
Johnny was a chemist's son, but Johnny is no more
What he thought was H20 was H2SO4
Side note: This thread has made me acutely aware that our editor lacks subscript and superscript.
Edit: I found a version with a second verse, copied below if you don't want to download the PDF.
Johnny was a chemist, but Johnny is no more,
‘Cuz what he thought was H2O was H2SO4!
Johnny, as we heard before, drank some H2SO4.
Johnny's mother, an M.D., gave him CaCO3.
Now he's neutralized it's true, but he is full of CO2.
Regardless of the version, these little ditties all require you to read the formulas as letter/number combinations to keep any sense of meter.
