Talk:3040: Chemical Formulas

I believe the diagram on the left incorrectly shows a double-bond between the carbon and the OH pair. -- Dtgriscom (talk) 03:13, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

"incorrectly shows a double-bond" This may be more correct (there are many ways to draw it):

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/formic-acid-molecule-structure-260nw-1359283460.jpg PRR (talk) 03:42, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

what’s a double bond? 42.book.addict^{Talk to me!} 04:25, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

if a hydrogen atom had hands it would have one and could only hold other atoms with one hand. Some atoms have more than one hand and in the case of a double bond can hold another atom with two hands. I almost recall something about electron orbits and spaces. I hope this isn't to unhelpful.108.162.242.58 05:08, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

ohhhh, i think i get it now. thanks! 42.book.addict^{Talk to me!} 05:19, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

For the molecules concerned (and ignoring some more exotic situations), you just need to know that;

• Hydrogen should have only one bond in total (H-C... or H-O..., in whatever direction. An H-H would be H₂, or hydrogen (probably!) gas unbonded to anything else).
• Oxygen should have two bonds (...X-O-Y... as part of a link between X and Y, like the (acceptibly abbreviated) -OH ('hydroxyl') group attached to a carbon; or ...X=O, as something double-bonded to something with two bonds available). H-O-H would be water (H₂), O=O would be the pure oxygen molecule (O₂).
• Carbon has four bonds, which can be:
  • Four singles, often with alkane links, ...C-C... with (up to) three things (more carbons, hydrogens or hydroxyls/etc) hanging off as well, as part of a hydrocarbon/similar,
  • Two singles and a double, like the ...C=O, or else an ...C=C... as an alkene link (with two things/continuations of carbon hanging off the ends),
  • Two doubles (cumulenes, like ...C=C=C..., are rare, but O=C=O is CO₂/carbon dioxide), or
  • A single and a triple, typically alkynes, ...-C≡C-..., or something like -C≡N (nitrogen has exactly three bonds!) for a cyano-group, but it's often a strained group.
  • A quadruple-bond would be... beyond this basic overview.
  • (Benzene rings effectively have 1.5 shared links between the adjacent carbons, or alternating single/double three times round the six Carbon-Carbon links, leaving one "hang off" bond from each of them, without bothering which ring-bonds are single or double.)
  • (Graphene sheets effectively have three singles, plus "two halves" weekly bonding to adjacent graphene sheets, in actual graphite; or whatever else fun thing you're doing with graphene/nanotubes/buckyballs singly...)

If you check the "Hackoo", the C has five bonds (at least until and unless Randall corrects it!), the error most obviously (just from the above knowledge!) because the O in the -OH (i.e. -O-H) has three bonds (...C=O-H) where it should only have two (...C-O-H).

It can perhaps be explained as an interestingly radical-enhanced number of bonds, though you'd notate it differently (in diagram and formula) and it wouldn't really be the ethanoic/formic acid that Cueball(/Randall) clearly intends it to be. Simple slip of the stylus, maybe, from someone more a physical scientist who isn't always affiliated to chemical sciences, so may not have realised when glancing at the 'finished' comic. (Or it's yet another (too?) subtle dig at the Cueball character that he's set up to fail/be creatively-wrong.) 172.70.90.108 07:01, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

Similar to 2492 Chakra (talk) 03:18, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

My favorite hydrocarbons are C6H6 (Bouba) and C5H12 (Kiki) 172.69.70.105 03:21, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

I assume 'Nackle' is NaCl (Sodium Chloride, aka salt) Pvnic (talk) 03:30, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

for blood pressure reasons I use fake salt = potassium chloride. Note to self: don't say "please pass the kackle" because at best at best I'd get a funny look and a chicken nugget. (Thinking) Or do. Chicken nuggets are good.172.68.245.179 04:41, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

And in the meta-humor department, the explanation message "Created by a BORON-OXYGEN-TANTALUM-URANIUM-TITANIUM-MOLYBDENUM-TITANIUM-CARBON-ALUMINUM-LITHIUM" abbreviates to "B O Ta U Ti Mo Ti C Al Li", or "BOT aUTiMoTiCaLLi". Jordan Brown (talk) 04:27, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

OH! Thank you. 172.68.245.179 04:41, 21 January 2025 (UTC)