chemical equation: Additional Symbols Used in Chemical Equations

There are a number of other symbols used in chemical equations. A symbol written above or below the reaction arrow indicates special reaction conditions. For example, when mercuric oxide is heated it decomposes into mercury metal and oxygen gas; this reaction is shown by the equation 2HgO →Δ 2Hg + O₂↑. The Greek letter delta under the arrow represents the heating. The upward-pointing arrow after the O₂ indicates that this product is gaseous and escapes. When a precipitate is formed by a reaction, the substance that precipitates is often followed by a downward-pointing arrow, e.g., AgNO₃ + NaCl →H₂O AgCl↓ + NaNO₃. The H₂O above the arrow shows that the reaction takes place in the presence of water—in this case, in water solution. The formulas AgNO₃, NaCl, and NaNO₃ do not represent molecules, since these substances are almost completely ionized in water solution (see ion).

When chemical equilibrium occurs in a reaction, the double arrow (⇌) is used instead of the single arrow. For example, liquid water dissociates to form hydronium ions (H₃O⁺) and hydroxide ions (OH⁻). These ions exist in equilibrium with water molecules. The equation is 2H₂O ⥨H₂O H₃O⁺ + OH⁻. The sign = is sometimes used in place of the double arrow.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Additional Symbols Used in Chemical Equations
• Methodology for Writing an Equation
• Basic Notation Used in Equations
• Bibliography

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