How do you know if a chemical formula is aqueous, liquid, gas or solid?

Question

if there is no state symbol behind the formula.
Is there any way/rule/law that one can use to find the state of the chemical formula?

Answer 1

They'll state their state after the chemical formula



(s)- solid

(l) - liquid

(g) - Gas

(aq) - Aqueous



Actually you can get deeper, as there are allotropic forms (other chemical structures)

Example



C(Diamond)

C(Graphite)



Their both solids, and same chemical make-up, although different structure.

Answer 2

You tend to know how to do this by experience. For example, if I say that I reacted copper and silver nitrate, I know I have this:



Cu(s) + AgNO3(aq) --->



By experience, I know that copper is the name of a solid element and I also know that, to react, the AgNO3 must be in solution. If I pour solid AgNO3 on solid Cu, I get a mess, but no reaction. You might then say this:



Cu(g) + AgNO3(g) --->



At elevated temperatures, such a reaction might create some solid Ag and some Cu(II) ions, but that reaction simply isn't done at the beginning level.



So, perhaps a bit of an unsatisfying answer. You simply have to build on your present base of experience and that's a time-consuming, frustrating process.



Best wishes in that process!



The Parable of the Pebbles:



http://www.chemteam.info/Parable-Pebbles.html

Answer 3

For individual elements, the bulk of them are solids. H2, N2, O2, F2, Cl2 and the whole of Group VIII are gases. Only Br2 and Hg are liquids.



Ionic compounds have a high melting and boiling point so assume that they are solids. Ionic compounds are those containing metal cations and anions (e.g. NaCl, MgCl2, KI) or metal cations and polyatomic ions (e.g. CaCO3, AgNO3, Fe2(SO4)3).



Covalent compounds can be solid, liquid or gas. Small molecules that contain H and other light atoms are usually gases, e.g. HCl, SO2, CO2 and CH4. For a class of organic compound, the state usually changes from gas to liquid to solid, or liquid to solid, with increasing number of carbon atoms. For alkanes for example, CH4 to C4H10 are gaseous, C5H12 to C17H36 are liquids, and C18H38 and bigger are solids.



Aqueous just means dissolved in water and usually refers to solutions of ionic solids.

Answer 4

there is no way to find the state of the chemical formula if there is no state symbol was written..

Answer 5

Technically there is no way. There is no rule .