Structural Formula
A representation showing how the atoms in a molecule are connected and, often, how they are arranged in space.
Unit
Dimensionless
In depth
Bonds are drawn as lines, with double and triple bonds shown as pairs and triples. Condensed forms compress the drawing into a line of text, while skeletal formulae omit carbon and hydrogen labels entirely. Structural formulae are essential in organic chemistry, where isomerism makes molecular formulae ambiguous.
Examples in the real world
CH₃–CH₂–OH for ethanol versus CH₃–O–CH₃ for dimethyl ether: same C₂H₆O, entirely different substances.