SYMBOLS IN CHEMISTRY

We've talked about units and constants. Another basic use of math in chemistry is the use of symbols. Symbols are used to represent numerical values when you have an equation. That way, whenever you see a certain symbol you can just plug a number into it. Here are some examples...

	Mass WHAT: This is the amount of a substance. Sometimes mass is confused with weight. Weight is a measure of mass based on how much gravity there is. Usually mass is measured in grams.
	Speed of Light WHAT: Yes, "c" is a constant, but the letter "c" is also a symbol representing the Speed of Light in a vacuum. It is used in the equation E=mc².
	Volume WHAT: The symbol for volume, usually measured in Liters.
	Total Pressure WHAT: We say this is the symbol of total pressure. That is all of the pressures added together. There are also values for the PARTIAL PRESSURES in a system.
	Number of Moles WHAT: A mole measures the number of molecules, or atoms. So when you see the value "n", you know how many moles in a system. A mole is 6.02x10²³ molecules or atoms.
	Molar Gas Constant WHAT: We already talked about that formula "PV=nRT" and that "R" was a constant. It's an important one to remember. That's why we talk about "R" in symbols. "R" is the Molar Gas Constant.
	Temperature WHAT: Remember PV=nRT? That's the one. Well that T stands for the temperature of the system.
	Relative Density WHAT: Density is how much things are packed together. Imagine a cube, one inch tall, one inch wide, and one inch long. If that cube is filled with Styrofoam it is light. If it is filled with lead (Pb) it is heavy. The lead (Pb) is heavier because it has a higher density than Styrofoam.
	Energy WHAT: We know it's kind of in the area of Physics, but E stands for energy. Remember the famous formula E=mc²? That E is Energy and it is equal to a mass multiplied by the speed of light and then multiplied by the speed of light again.
	Molarity WHAT: This is the symbol for molarity. When chemists talk about the concentration of substances dissolved in solution they say it has a SPECIFIC MOLARITY.

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- Physics4Kids: Temperature Scales

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SYMBOLS IN CHEMISTRY

Mass
WHAT: This is the amount of a substance. Sometimes mass is confused with weight. Weight is a measure of mass based on how much gravity there is. Usually mass is measured in grams.

Speed of Light
WHAT: Yes, "c" is a constant, but the letter "c" is also a symbol representing the Speed of Light in a vacuum. It is used in the equation E=mc².

Volume
WHAT: The symbol for volume, usually measured in Liters.

Total Pressure
WHAT: We say this is the symbol of total pressure. That is all of the pressures added together. There are also values for the PARTIAL PRESSURES in a system.

Number of Moles
WHAT: A mole measures the number of molecules, or atoms. So when you see the value "n", you know how many moles in a system. A mole is 6.02x10²³ molecules or atoms.

Molar Gas Constant
WHAT: We already talked about that formula "PV=nRT" and that "R" was a constant. It's an important one to remember. That's why we talk about "R" in symbols. "R" is the Molar Gas Constant.

Temperature
WHAT: Remember PV=nRT? That's the one. Well that T stands for the temperature of the system.

Energy
WHAT: We know it's kind of in the area of Physics, but E stands for energy. Remember the famous formula E=mc²? That E is Energy and it is equal to a mass multiplied by the speed of light and then multiplied by the speed of light again.

Molarity
WHAT: This is the symbol for molarity. When chemists talk about the concentration of substances dissolved in solution they say it has a SPECIFIC MOLARITY.

SYMBOLS IN CHEMISTRY

Mass WHAT: This is the amount of a substance. Sometimes mass is confused with weight. Weight is a measure of mass based on how much gravity there is. Usually mass is measured in grams.

Speed of Light WHAT: Yes, "c" is a constant, but the letter "c" is also a symbol representing the Speed of Light in a vacuum. It is used in the equation E=mc2.

Volume WHAT: The symbol for volume, usually measured in Liters.

Total Pressure WHAT: We say this is the symbol of total pressure. That is all of the pressures added together. There are also values for the PARTIAL PRESSURES in a system.

Number of Moles WHAT: A mole measures the number of molecules, or atoms. So when you see the value "n", you know how many moles in a system. A mole is 6.02x1023 molecules or atoms.

Molar Gas Constant WHAT: We already talked about that formula "PV=nRT" and that "R" was a constant. It's an important one to remember. That's why we talk about "R" in symbols. "R" is the Molar Gas Constant.

Temperature WHAT: Remember PV=nRT? That's the one. Well that T stands for the temperature of the system.

Energy WHAT: We know it's kind of in the area of Physics, but E stands for energy. Remember the famous formula E=mc2? That E is Energy and it is equal to a mass multiplied by the speed of light and then multiplied by the speed of light again.

Molarity WHAT: This is the symbol for molarity. When chemists talk about the concentration of substances dissolved in solution they say it has a SPECIFIC MOLARITY.

Mass
WHAT: This is the amount of a substance. Sometimes mass is confused with weight. Weight is a measure of mass based on how much gravity there is. Usually mass is measured in grams.

Speed of Light
WHAT: Yes, "c" is a constant, but the letter "c" is also a symbol representing the Speed of Light in a vacuum. It is used in the equation E=mc².

Volume
WHAT: The symbol for volume, usually measured in Liters.

Total Pressure
WHAT: We say this is the symbol of total pressure. That is all of the pressures added together. There are also values for the PARTIAL PRESSURES in a system.

Number of Moles
WHAT: A mole measures the number of molecules, or atoms. So when you see the value "n", you know how many moles in a system. A mole is 6.02x10²³ molecules or atoms.

Molar Gas Constant
WHAT: We already talked about that formula "PV=nRT" and that "R" was a constant. It's an important one to remember. That's why we talk about "R" in symbols. "R" is the Molar Gas Constant.

Temperature
WHAT: Remember PV=nRT? That's the one. Well that T stands for the temperature of the system.

Energy
WHAT: We know it's kind of in the area of Physics, but E stands for energy. Remember the famous formula E=mc²? That E is Energy and it is equal to a mass multiplied by the speed of light and then multiplied by the speed of light again.

Molarity
WHAT: This is the symbol for molarity. When chemists talk about the concentration of substances dissolved in solution they say it has a SPECIFIC MOLARITY.