2.1 The Problem with the Simple Formula

So far we've seen hydrides of elements, meaning compounds of that element with hydrogen and nothing else, and oxides, meaning compounds of oxygen and that element and nothing else. We've also seen compounds of an element with both hydrogen and oxygen. These simple molecules are easy to understand from their formulae; CH₄ can only be a carbon atom attached to four hydrogens, since that is the only configuration of these atoms that satisfies all valences. But what about a molecule like table sugar, C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁? That formula tells us how many atoms of each element there are, but it says nothing of its molecular structure.

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