Editing Talk:2501: Average Familiarity

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Seemed like the examples of substances the average person might reasonably know the chemical formula for should include a mineral.  Halite seems likely (though that name is probably less familiar than table salt).  Diamond and graphite were the only other minerals that I could think of that many would know the formulas for (C).  Chalk (calcite) seems possible, but less likely.  Any other suggestions (or even better, any citations to research)?  [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.5|108.162.245.5]] 21:30, 12 August 2021 (UTC)
 
Seemed like the examples of substances the average person might reasonably know the chemical formula for should include a mineral.  Halite seems likely (though that name is probably less familiar than table salt).  Diamond and graphite were the only other minerals that I could think of that many would know the formulas for (C).  Chalk (calcite) seems possible, but less likely.  Any other suggestions (or even better, any citations to research)?  [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.5|108.162.245.5]] 21:30, 12 August 2021 (UTC)
 
:technically water in the form of ice is a mineral. But including salt is a good idea. And I'll look for citations. [[User:Curiouscat|Curiouscat]] ([[User talk:Curiouscat|talk]]) 21:44, 12 August 2021 (UTC)
 
:technically water in the form of ice is a mineral. But including salt is a good idea. And I'll look for citations. [[User:Curiouscat|Curiouscat]] ([[User talk:Curiouscat|talk]]) 21:44, 12 August 2021 (UTC)
:::Water is surely not a mineral in any useful sense. It is, instead, the simplest of monohydric chain-alcohols, with the formula of H-(CH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>N</sub>-OH for ''N == 0''. Methanol is to it as ethanol is to methanol. As such, it is usually a very safe chemical to imbibe, although it's also often mixed with dihydrogen monoxide, hydric acid ''and'' hydrogen hydroxide as dangerous contaminants that it is very difficult to filter out. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.9|141.101.105.9]] 05:40, 17 August 2021 (UTC)
 
 
:I would expect lot of people would be able to name "formula" for more than several elements, along with having some idea how they look OR where they are used. Not as common knowledge as water and salt, but assuming they had SOME chemistry in school, this would be more likely to be remembered than compounds. Also, speaking about diamond, I suppose average people would claim that formula for coal is C, although I suspect that chemists would say that's not correct. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 02:16, 13 August 2021 (UTC)
 
:I would expect lot of people would be able to name "formula" for more than several elements, along with having some idea how they look OR where they are used. Not as common knowledge as water and salt, but assuming they had SOME chemistry in school, this would be more likely to be remembered than compounds. Also, speaking about diamond, I suppose average people would claim that formula for coal is C, although I suspect that chemists would say that's not correct. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 02:16, 13 August 2021 (UTC)
 
::I probably wouldn't have been able to tell you the chemical formula for salt off the top of my head, unless you prompted me with "sodium chloride" (but even then, it's a toss-up as to whether I'd get the elements right). I studied chemistry for five years at secondary school and got good grades, but you'd be amazed at how little sticks when you have absolutely no need for it in day-to-day life. --[[User:Enchantedsleeper|enchantedsleeper]] ([[User talk:Enchantedsleeper|talk]]) 08:56, 13 August 2021 (UTC)
 
::I probably wouldn't have been able to tell you the chemical formula for salt off the top of my head, unless you prompted me with "sodium chloride" (but even then, it's a toss-up as to whether I'd get the elements right). I studied chemistry for five years at secondary school and got good grades, but you'd be amazed at how little sticks when you have absolutely no need for it in day-to-day life. --[[User:Enchantedsleeper|enchantedsleeper]] ([[User talk:Enchantedsleeper|talk]]) 08:56, 13 August 2021 (UTC)

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