c/science_memes · by otter@lemmy.ca · 204d

xkcd: Chemical Formula

Source: https://xkcd.com/3200/

199 points · 10 comments · view on lemmy.world

10 Comments

nooneescapesthelaw@mander.xyz · 28 pts · 204d (4 replies)

Can someone explain this? I understand it but I want to make sure my cat does too

plactagonic@sopuli.xyz · 21 pts · 204d

It just lists the elements in a form of chemical formula with their estimated quantity in universe.

otter@lemmy.ca · 12 pts · 204d (1 reply)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empirical_formula

In chemistry, the empirical formula of a chemical compound is the simplest whole number ratio of atoms present in a compound

In this comic, the "compound" is the entire observable universe. So it's the simplest whole number ratio of every atom in the observable universe

A more in depth explanation for this comic (and all other xkcd comics) is here: https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3200:_Chemical_Formula

thedaylights@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 202d

Add to this, the subscripts are raised to exponents. I have never seen that before in a chemical formula, so it took me a while to figure out what those numbers were.

Hule@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 204d

Meow

teft@piefed.social · 24 pts · 204d (2 replies)

The formula as it appears in the comic is truncated. The complete formula of the universe in this style (but arranged in decreasing order of abundance after carbon, which also happens to place hydrogen immediately after) would be C₁₀⁷⁷ H₁₀⁸⁰ He₁₀⁷⁹ O₁₀⁷⁸ Ne₁₀⁷⁶ N₁₀⁷⁶ Mg₁₀⁷⁵ Si₁₀⁷⁵ Ar₁₀⁷⁵ Fe₁₀⁷⁶ S₁₀⁷⁶ Ni₁₀⁷⁵ Ca₁₀⁷⁵ Al₁₀⁷⁵ B₁₀⁷¹ Be₁₀⁷¹ Na₁₀⁷⁵ As₁₀⁷² Br₁₀⁷² Li₁₀⁷² Cr₁₀⁷⁵ Ti₁₀⁷⁴ Mn₁₀⁷⁴ P₁₀⁷⁴ K₁₀⁷⁴ V₁₀⁷⁴ Cl₁₀⁷⁴ F₁₀⁷³ Sc₁₀⁷² Co₁₀⁷⁴ Cu₁₀⁷² Zn₁₀⁷³ Ga₁₀⁷² Ge₁₀⁷³ Se₁₀⁷² Kr₁₀⁷² Rb₁₀⁷² Sr₁₀⁷² Y₁₀⁷¹ Zr₁₀⁷² Nb₁₀⁷¹ Mo₁₀⁷¹ Tc₁₀⁰ Ru₁₀⁷¹ Rh₁₀⁷⁰ Pd₁₀⁷¹ Ag₁₀⁷⁰ Cd₁₀⁷¹ In₁₀⁷⁰ Sn₁₀⁷¹ Sb₁₀⁷⁰ Te₁₀⁷² I₁₀⁷¹ Xe₁₀⁷² Cs₁₀⁷⁰ Ba₁₀⁷² La₁₀⁷¹ Ce₁₀⁷² Pr₁₀⁷¹ Nd₁₀⁷² Pm₁₀⁰ Sm₁₀⁷¹ Eu₁₀⁷⁰ Gd₁₀⁷¹ Tb₁₀⁷⁰ Dy₁₀⁷¹ Ho₁₀⁷⁰ Er₁₀⁷¹ Tm₁₀⁷⁰ Yb₁₀⁷¹ Lu₁₀⁷⁰ Hf₁₀⁷⁰ Ta₁₀⁷⁰ W₁₀⁷⁰ Re₁₀⁷⁰ Os₁₀⁷¹ Ir₁₀⁷¹ Pt₁₀⁷¹ Au₁₀⁷⁰ Hg₁₀⁷¹ Tl₁₀⁷⁰ Pb₁₀⁷² Bi₁₀⁷⁰ Po₁₀⁰ At₁₀⁰ Rn₁₀⁰ Fr₁₀⁰ Ra₁₀⁰ Ac₁₀⁰ Th₁₀⁷⁰ Pa₁₀⁰ U₁₀⁷⁰ Np₁₀⁰ Pu₁₀⁰ Am₁₀⁰ Cm₁₀⁰ Bk₁₀⁰ Cf₁₀⁰ Es₁₀⁰ Fm₁₀⁰ Md₁₀⁰ No₁₀⁰ Lr₁₀⁰ Rf₁₀⁰ Db₁₀⁰ Sg₁₀⁰ Bh₁₀⁰ Hs₁₀⁰ Mt₁₀⁰ Ds₁₀⁰ Rg₁₀⁰ Cn₁₀⁰ Nh₁₀⁰ Fl₁₀⁰ Mc₁₀⁰ Lv₁₀⁰ Ts₁₀⁰ Og₁₀⁰ according to estimates of abundance.

From explainxkcd for those who want to see the whole formula.

judasferret@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 202d (1 reply)

Best part is all the elements 10^0 = 1 which I'm guessing are the ones humans have constructed in a lab and generally are not found in nature.

teft@piefed.social · 4 pts · 202d

They are. The one I noticed right off was Oganesson (~~118~~Og) because i recently watched a periodic videos about it.

flamingo_pinyata@sopuli.xyz · 6 pts · 204d (1 reply)

Any astophysiologists here? Is this accurate?

CannonFodder@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 204d

Pretty accurate, but misses some of the structure.
^(not an astrophisiolologist but I play one on the internet)