Prominent Atmospheric Chemicals


symbols and terminology:
 
Element Atomic Weight Electrons
Hydrogen (H) 1 1
Carbon (C) 12 6
Nitrogen (N) 14 7
Oxygen (O) 16 8
Fluorine (F) 19 9
Sulfur (S) 32 16
Chlorine (Cl) 35 17
Bromine (Br) 80 35

Atomic species are rare in the atmosphere as they tend to react with other atoms or molecules.
Some common compounds include:
 
Compound Names
O2 Oh-Two (literal name)
Oxygen (common name)
Molecular oxygen (formal name)
Dioxygen (strict nomenclature)
N2O En-two-oh (literal name)
Laughing gas (popular name)
Nitrous oxide (formal name)
Dinitrogen monoxide (strict nomenclature)
NH3 En-aitch-three (literal name)
Ammonia (common name)
Ammonia (formal name)
Nitrogen trihydride (strict nomenclature)

A chemical reaction is a quantitative statement describing the interaction between two materials (or compounds or species), the reactants, that leads to the generation of different materials, the products. Atoms are not created or destroyed.

back home