Improving the Understanding of Chemistry by Using the Right Words: Transforming Inorganic Formulas for Insight into Chemical Structure

In this study, we present a novel method for writing chemical formulas to address common misconceptions in chemistry education. Building on our previous work, where we defined molecules and reticulums based on the number of chemical bonds, we introduce the term “layered structure” to describe chemical species with a conceptually infinite number of chemical bonds in a two-dimensional network. These definitions help distinguish among chemical species and the entities that compose them. We highlight chemical formulas do not convey structural information and that using them without providing such information can hinder student understanding. To resolve this, we propose a new notation system that differentiates the structure of chemical substances while retaining detailed compositional information: we suggest using slashes (//) to denote layered structures and curly brackets ({}) to represent reticulums, distinguishing them from molecular substances. This proposal was tested with professors and undergraduate students at Facultad de Química, UNAM. Our findings suggest that this new notation system clarifies the structural differences between various chemical entities and species and enhances the understanding of chemical composition and bonding in educational settings. By making these distinctions explicit, students and educators can more accurately interpret chemical formulas and their structures. This approach has the potential to improve chemistry education by addressing key conceptual misunderstandings. We are preparing a second part to further explore the scope and limitations of our proposal.