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Symble, Formula & Valency
Symble, Formula & Valency
Chapter-2
Significance of symbol:
1. The symbol of an element represents the name of the element in short e.g.
hydrogen by H, oxygen by O, sodium by Na.
2. The symbol of an element indicates one atom of that element such as H
stands for one atom of hydrogen. Likewise O stands for one atom oxygen, C
for one atom carbon, Na for one atom of sodium etc.
3. The symbol represents one atom of an element and it also stands for the
atomic weight of that element. For example, H means one part by weight of
hydrogen and O means 16 parts by weight of oxygen.
(b)Write down the symbol of: Carbon, Copper, Potassium, Iron and
Calcium.
Calcium Ca
(c) What is called a formula? Explain the significance of formula.
Qualitative significance:
1. It represents a particular substance. For example the formula H2O means
the substance water.
2. It also denotes the different elements present in that substance.
Quantitative significance:
1. Formula represents one molecule of a particular substance. For example,
one molecule of sodium Chloride is represented by NaCl.
2. Formula represents the number of atoms of each of the constituent
elements present in the molecule of the compound.
3. A formula represents molecular weight of a particular Substance and the
molecular formula shows the relative weight of the elements presets in the
molecular weight of the compound; for example, CO2 means the
molecular weight of CO2 is 44 and it also represents relative weight of
carbon and oxygen in the mol. Wt of the compound; i.e. in 44 parts by wt.
of carbon dioxide there are 12 parts by weight of carbon and 32 parts by
weight of oxygen.
Ans.: The combing capacity of an element with others is called valency. The
valency is measured as the number of hydrogen or equivalent atoms which is
combined with or replaced by one atom of an element.
Generally hydrogen or chlorine atom is combined with most of the element. For
that reason hydrogen and chlorine atom is taken as the unit to determine the
valency of an element.
For example, one hydrogen atom is combined with one chlorine atom in
hydrochloric acid (HCl) compound. So the valency of chlorine is one in HCl.
Symbol, Formula and Valency 17
Again in calcium chloride (CaCl2) compound two chlorine atoms combine with
one calcium atom. So the valency of calcium is two in CaCl2 compound.
Ans.: Compound radicals are the group of atoms which act like atoms and
participate in the chemical reaction as a group as like as atoms are called
compound radicals.
Example : Sulphate (SO4) is a radical which is composed with two different
elements sulphur and oxygen. Here, four atoms of oxygen and one atom of
sulphur is combined together and acts as like as an atom as a group. It is
understood clearly from the following reaction:
Ans.: The valency of the following elements and radicals are as follows:
Boron B
Phosphorus P
Uranium U
2. When however, the names of two elements begin with the same letter, first
letter in capital is used for one and for the others first letter along with another,
prominently heard in pronouncing the name of the element , are used to represent
the element.
For example
English neme Symbol
Carbon C
Calcium Ca
Cobalt Co
Cadmium Cd
Chlorine Cl
Boron B
Barium Ba
Bismuth Bi
Bromine Br
Beryllium Be
3. Some elements are represents by first letter or first two letters of its Latin
names but there are also some exceptions. For example
(b) What is formula? Write down the differences between symbol and
formula.
element present in the molecule is mentioned as subscript on the right hand side
of the symbols. For example: the formula of water = H2O, the formula of
ammonia = NH3.
(c) What is formula? Write down the in correct formulae given below and
correct the incorrect one and write them.
(i) H2S (ii) H2Cl (iii) Na(OH) 2 (iv) NaCO3 (v) H(NO3) 2 (vi) CaHCO3 (vii)
(NH4) 2SO4 (viii) Fe2 (SO4) 3 (ix) BaCl (x) NO2Cl
Ans.:
Formula Correct/Incorrect Correct formula
(if the given formula is not correct)
(i)H2S correct
(ii)H2Cl incorrect HCl
(iii) Na(OH)2 incorrect NaOH
(iv) NaCO3 incorrect Na(CO3)2
(v)H(NO3)3 incorrect HNO3
(vi)CaHCO3 incorrect Ca(HCO3)2
(vii)(NH4)2SO4 correct
(viii)Fe2(SO4)3 correct
(ix)BaCl incorrect BaCl3
(x)NO2Cl correct
Symbol, Formula and Valency 21
(d) (i) What type of information we get from the formula of H2SO4?
(ii) What are the number of atoms in the molecule Fe2(SO4)3?
Ans.: (i) The information we get from the above formula are as follows:
Qualitative significance :
1. H2SO4 indicates a particular substance sulphuric acid.
2. The compound sulphuric acid (H2SO4) is composed of hydrogen, sulphur
and oxygen.
Quantitative significance :
1. The formula indicates H2SO4 is a molecule of sulphuric acid.
2. The formula also indicates the molecule contains two atoms of hydrogen,
one atom of sulphur and four atoms of oxygen.
3. The molecular mass of the molecule is 98.
4. The formula means that there are 2 parts of hydrogen, 32 parts of sulphur
and 64 parts of oxygen of the total mass of 98.
Total atoms 17
(e) The formulas of five oxides are MnO, Mn2O3, MnO2, MnO3, Mn2O7, from
these formulae answer the following questions.
a. What is the symbol of the manganese?
b. In which oxide the valency of manganese is maximum?
c. What are the different valencies of manganese?
Ans.:
(a) The symbol of manganese is Mn.
General Science: Physics and Chemistry 22
2. Why the formula of water is not HO and that of hydrogen chloride is not
H2Cl?
Symbol, Formula and Valency 23
Ans.: The formula of water is not HO and that of hydrogen chloride is not H 2Cl
because one atom of hydrogen combines with one atom chlorine to produce one
molecule of hydrogen chloride. Two atoms of hydrogen will never combine with
one atom of chlorine. Again one atom of hydrogen will never combine with one
atom of oxygen for producing one molecule of water (H2O). That is, elements
have the definite capability to combine with each other.
3. What is valency?
5. Write down the following things for the formulae : (i) H2O (ii) 3H2SO4 (iii)
2Mg(HCO3)2 (iv) 5NH4OH.
(a) Name (b) Number of molecules (c) Number of hydrogen atoms (d)
Number of oxygen atoms.
General Science: Physics and Chemistry 24
Ans.:
Formulae Name No. of No. of No. of
molecules hydrogen oxygen
atoms atoms
H2O Water 1 2 1
3H2SO4 Sulphuric acid 3 6 12
2Mg(HCO3)2 Magnesium bi 2 4 12
carbonate
5NH4OH Ammonium 5 25 5
hydroxide
Ans.: When one element is combined with another element for making a
compound, then valencies are exchanged in there between the two atoms.
Valecies are written as subscript in the right side of the symbols of the elements.
For example-
Formula of water is H1O2 = H2O
Formula of sodium sulphate = Na2SO4.
Symbol, Formula and Valency 25
Ans.: The element of an element can be compared with hand. For example the
element with one hand means its valency is one. Therefore, one atom of one
handed element will combine with another atom of one handed element. Both
hydrogen and chlorine are one handed elements. So both have valency one.
Again the valency of oxygen is two which means that one atom of oxygen has
two hands. By these two hands oxygen can catch two hydrogen atoms which is
shown below :
H- O – H
Ans.: Generally hydrogen and chlorine atom is taken as the unit of valency. We
know, valency of any element is the number of hydrogen atoms which are
combined with the one atom of that element.
Valency of oxygen is 4, because methane (CH4) is produced by the reaction of
hydrogen with carbon. It is observed from the structural formula of methane that
four hydrogen atoms are attached with one atom of carbon. For that reason, the
valency of carbon is 4.
The structural formula of methane is shown below :
H
H–C–H
H
Valency of sodium is one because sodium chloride (NaCl) is formed due to
reaction of sodium with chlorine. From the combination of sodium chloride, it is
observed that one sodium atom is attached with one chlorine atom. For that
reason valency of sodium is 1.
12. Why hydrogen is used as the unit for measuring the valency of any
element?
Ans.: It is observed from experiment that maximum elements have the greatest
tendency or attraction to combine with hydrogen atoms. Moreover the valency of
hydrogen is the lowest. For that reason hydrogen is used as the unit for
measuring valency of any elements.
Quantitative significance :
(a) It indicates a molecule of water.
(b) It is also indicated that one molecule of water is composed of two atoms of
hydrogen and one atom of oxygen.
(c) It indicates the molecular weight of water = 1.008 + 16 x 1= 18.016.
(d) We can understand that 18.016 gm water is composed of 2.016 gm hydrogen
and 16 gm oxygen. Or, in water-
H = 2.016 x 100/18.016 = 11.19%
O = 16 x 100/18.016 = 88.81%.
In the case where any element does not combine with hydrogen, number of
atoms of equivalent elements (example chlorine) of hydrogen is taken as unit.
15. Write down the structural formulae of the following compounds. (i) CO2
(ii) CO (iii) NH3 (iv) CH4 (v) H2O (Vi) NaCl
Ans.:
(i) O = C = O (ii) H –N – H
H H
Ans.:
Significance of symbol:
General Science: Physics and Chemistry 28
1. The symbol of an element represents the name of the element in short e.g.
hydrogen by H, oxygen by O, sodium by Na.
2. The symbol of an element indicates one atom of that element such as H
stands for one atom of hydrogen. Likewise O stands for one atom oxygen, C
for one atom of carbon, Na for one atom of sodium etc.
3. The symbol represents one atom of an element and it also stands for the
atomic weight of that element. For example, H means one part by weight of
hydrogen and O means 16 parts by weight of oxygen.
Ans.: Formula has two types of significances. These are (a) qualitative
significance and (b) quantitative significance.
Qualitative and quantitative significances are discussed below :
Ans.: (a) Cl, Cl2; (b) Molecule, formula; (c) 2; (d) radical; (e) hydrogen; (f) 3.
Left Right
(a) Symbol of sodium (a) Fe2(SO4) 3
(b) Formula of copper sulphate (b) Metal
(c) The valency of oxygen (c) Radical
(d) Carbonate; CO3 (d) Na
(e) Sodium, Potassium, Calcium (e) CuSO4
(f) The valency of sodium is (f) 2
(g) 1
Ans.:
(a) Symbol of sodium Na
(b) Formula of copper sulphate CuSO4.
(c) The valency of oxygen 2.
(d) Carbonate; CO3 radical.
(e) Sodium, Potassium, Calcium metal.
(f) The valency of sodium is 1.