Chemical formulae are the universal language of chemistry — and once you can read them, a whole new level of understanding opens up. This video teaches you a step-by-step method for decoding any formula: counting elements, reading subscripts, and working through brackets, finishing with the Co versus CO example that shows why capitalisation can mean the difference between cobalt and carbon monoxide. The foundation you need before tackling formula masses and balanced equations.

What You Will Learn

00:42What a chemical formula is and why it is the universal language of chemistry.

01:49How to count capital letters in a formula to identify the number of different elements present.

04:29How to read subscript numbers and what they tell you about atom ratios.

04:43Why a subscript number always refers to the element immediately before it.

05:13How to handle brackets in formulae by multiplying the subscript outside the bracket by each atom inside.

05:29Why capitalisation in chemical symbols is critical: Co vs CO gives two completely different substances.

06:10How to look up unfamiliar element symbols using the periodic table.

07:43How to identify whether a substance is an element or a compound from its formula.

09:23How to apply all of these skills together to fully decode a complex formula.

Chemical names follow rules — and once you know those rules, you can name or identify any inorganic compound from its formula. This video walks you through the IUPAC naming system for binary compounds, acids, and compounds containing polyatomic ions, with enough worked examples to make the pattern stick. Ideal if you keep second-guessing whether something ends in -ide, -ate, or -ite.

What You Will Learn

01:34What chemical nomenclature is and why systematic naming matters in chemistry.

03:16How to name simple ionic compounds from a metal and a non-metal using the -ide suffix.

06:52How to name transition metal compounds using Roman numerals to indicate ion charge.

08:33How to identify and name compounds containing polyatomic ions such as carbonate, sulfate, nitrate, and hydroxide.

10:57How to name simple covalent molecules using Greek prefixes for atom count.

12:01Why water and ammonia are exceptions that do not follow standard naming rules.

12:47How to apply all naming rules together to work out the name of an unfamiliar compound.