Compounds Reference
Key compounds with verified formulas, molar masses, structures and safety notes.
Acetic acid (CH3COOH)
Acetic acid is the compound that gives vinegar its sour taste and sharp smell. As a weak acid it is far gentler than mineral acids, yet concentrated forms still burn.
Ammonia (NH3)
Ammonia is a pungent gas of nitrogen and hydrogen, the foundation of the fertilizer industry. Its familiar sharp smell is recognizable in cleaning products and farms.
Aspirin (C9H8O4)
Aspirin is one of the most used medicines in history, relieving pain, fever, and inflammation. It must still be treated as a real drug with real risks.
Benzene (C6H6)
Benzene is a ring-shaped hydrocarbon and the parent of aromatic chemistry. It is an important industrial feedstock but also a known carcinogen that needs careful handling.
Caffeine (C8H10N4O2)
Caffeine is the world's most consumed stimulant, found in coffee, tea, and chocolate. It sharpens alertness but can disturb sleep and cause dependence.
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
Calcium carbonate is the compound of limestone, chalk, marble, and seashells. It fizzes with acids, releasing carbon dioxide, and is used in cement, antacids, and agriculture.
Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2)
Calcium hydroxide, or slaked lime, is made by adding water to quicklime. It is used in mortar, water treatment, and food processing such as nixtamalizing corn.
Calcium oxide (CaO)
Calcium oxide, called quicklime, is made by heating limestone. It reacts vigorously with water to give slaked lime and is a key ingredient in cement and steelmaking.
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Carbon dioxide is a colorless gas produced by respiration, combustion, and fermentation. Plants use it for photosynthesis, and its buildup in the atmosphere drives climate change.
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, highly toxic gas formed by incomplete burning of fuels. It kills by blocking blood from carrying oxygen, making working detectors essential.
Copper(II) sulfate (CuSO4)
Copper(II) sulfate is the deep blue crystal of school chemistry labs, used in agriculture, electroplating, and the classic displacement reaction with iron.
Ethanol (C2H5OH)
Ethanol is the alcohol in beverages, a common solvent, and a renewable fuel. Its effects on the human body and its flammability both demand careful handling.
Glucose (C6H12O6)
Glucose is the primary fuel of cells and the sugar measured in blood tests. Plants make it by photosynthesis, and the body breaks it down to release energy.
Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid formed when hydrogen chloride gas dissolves in water. It is produced naturally in the stomach for digestion and used widely in industry.
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
Hydrogen peroxide is a pale blue liquid sold as a disinfectant and bleach. It looks like water but is a strong oxidizer that slowly decomposes into water and oxygen.
Iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3)
Iron(III) oxide is the red-brown compound of rust and the pigment behind red ochre. It is also the main ore mineral hematite, from which most iron is extracted.
Magnesium oxide (MgO)
Magnesium oxide is a white solid with an extremely high melting point, used in furnace linings and as an antacid. It forms when magnesium burns with its brilliant white flame.
Methane (CH4)
Methane is the simplest hydrocarbon and the main component of natural gas. It is a clean-burning fuel but also a potent greenhouse gas when it escapes unburned.
Nitric acid (HNO3)
Nitric acid is a strong acid and powerful oxidizing agent. It is essential for making fertilizers and explosives, and it famously dissolves most metals.
Ozone (O3)
Ozone is a three-atom form of oxygen with a sharp smell, noticeable after lightning storms. High in the atmosphere it shields Earth from ultraviolet light; at ground level it is a harmful pollutant.
Phosphoric acid (H3PO4)
Phosphoric acid is the tangy acid in cola drinks and a key industrial chemical for fertilizers and detergents. It is a weak acid but still corrosive in concentrated form.
Potassium nitrate (KNO3)
Potassium nitrate, or saltpeter, is a white salt used in fertilizers, food preservation, and historically in gunpowder. It supplies both potassium and nitrogen to plants.
Potassium permanganate (KMnO4)
Potassium permanganate is the deep purple crystal of disinfectants and redox titrations. A tiny amount turns water vivid purple, and it is a powerful oxidizing agent.
Silver nitrate (AgNO3)
Silver nitrate is a light-sensitive salt used in traditional photography, medical cauterization, and the classic test for chloride ions in the laboratory.
Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)
Sodium bicarbonate is baking soda, the gentle white powder that makes cakes rise and settles upset stomachs. It is one of the safest and most useful compounds in the kitchen.
Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3)
Sodium carbonate, or washing soda, is a strongly alkaline salt used in glassmaking, detergents, and water softening. Do not confuse it with gentler baking soda.
Sodium chloride (NaCl)
Sodium chloride is common table salt, an ionic compound of sodium and chloride ions. It is essential for life, seasons food, melts ice on roads, and preserves food.
Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
Sodium hydroxide, also called caustic soda or lye, is a strong base used in soap making, paper production, and drain cleaners. It feels slippery and is corrosive to skin.
Sucrose (C12H22O11)
Sucrose is ordinary table sugar, the disaccharide of glucose and fructose. It sweetens food worldwide and ferments into alcohol, but excess intake harms health.
Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)
Sulfuric acid is one of the most produced chemicals in the world, used in fertilizers, batteries, and refining. It is a strong, corrosive, dehydrating acid that demands respect.
Urea (CO(NH2)2)
Urea is the compound the body uses to dispose of excess nitrogen, and the world's most used nitrogen fertilizer. It was the first organic compound made from inorganic materials.
Water (H2O)
Water is the most important compound for life and the universal solvent of chemistry. Its unusual properties, from ice floating to its high boiling point, all come from hydrogen bonding.