A quick chemistry question

[sorgoth]

I was wondering, since when listing the elements a molecule is made up of the one on the left comes first, (H2O, for example), how is it written if two elements of a same family (Famille...does it translate directly?) form a molecule?

Or does it happen?

 

[Dan Beaird]

I was wondering, since when listing the elements a molecule is made up of the one on the left comes first, (H2O, for example), how is it written if two elements of a same family (Famille...does it translate directly?) form a molecule?

Or does it happen?

Only in Alabama

 

[JamesM]

Do you mean elements in the same group? I just googled some French chemistry pages and I think famille translates as group. Li, Na and K are in the same famille, oui?

If so, yes, it happens. For example, the interhalogens, e.g. ClF, IBr, IF₇.
In that case, the heavier, less electronegative halogen is the central atom and is written first.

Another example is the sulphate anion: SO₃^2-.

 

[sorgoth]

Thanks a bunch! (Yeah, that was exactly what I was talking about)