Also refer to chemistry, molecules, compounds, elements, atoms, ions, algebra, combinations, periodic table, education, WBT, School for Champions, Kurtus Technologies, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A chemical formula is similar to an algebraic formula in its use of symbols. Combining different elements forms molecules or compounds. The description of a compound with numbers and symbols is called a chemical formula.
Some formulas can be quite complex.
This lesson will explain the basics of chemical formulas. There is a mini-quiz at the end of the lesson. You know that an element is a basic chemical unit. An element is the same as an atom. In certain situations when two or more elements are combined, they will bond together, forming a new substance.