Different Ways Of Drawing Molecules

Question 1

Molecular formulas

Answer 1

Molecular formulae simply show the number of each type of atom for example C2H4

Question 2

Structural formula

Answer 2

Structural formulae allow you to work out the structure e.g. CH3CH2CH….

Question 3

Displayed formulae

Answer 3

Shows all the bonds in a the molecule as individual lines 
    H  H
     |    |
H-C-C-H
     |    |
    H  H

This could be simplified to

CH3-CH3

Question 4

Skeletal formulae

Answer 4

In a skeletal formula all the hydrogen atoms are removed leaving just a chain drawn as a line with bends in, each bend is a new carbon with hydrogens

/\ means C3H8

/\/\ means CH3-CH-CH2-CH3
| |
OH OH