What do the brackets in chemical equations mean?
Im new to chemistry, what do brackets in chemical equations mean?
Ca (OH)2
What does the (OH) here symbolise?

K2SO4 . Al2(SO4)3 . 24H2O
What does (SO4) here symbolise?

Question

What do the brackets in chemical equations mean?
Im new to chemistry, what do brackets in chemical equations mean?
Ca (OH)2
What does the (OH) here symbolise?

K2SO4 . Al2(SO4)3 . 24H2O
What does (SO4) here symbolise?

anonymous · Answer

Its really notation to make up for the lack of subscript and superscript. If I wrote Al2SO43, it could be unclear what I meant. The use of parentheses allow the reader to see clearly that there are 3 molecules of SO4, rather than one of SO43 (which doesn't exist, but still). Better for your first example, Ca(OH)2 means there are 2 units of OH in the substance, rather than CaOH2, which would indicate something different.

anonymous · Answer

Thanks! That made it clear!

lgbasallote · Answer

it's just like math 2(x+y) means 2x + 2y...the parentheses serve as symbols to represent that a subscript is being distributed. like what benjammin said.. OH2 means one oxygen then 2 hydrogen... (OH)2 means 2 oxygen and 2 hydrogen