State Symbols
Chemistry: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 2.2.6
State Symbols
State symbols are letters that tell us what state of matter a substance is in. There are 4 different state symbols:
(s)
- (s) is used for solids.
- E.g. Mg(s).
- E.g. Na(s).
(l)
- (l) is used for pure liquids.
- E.g. H2O(l).
- E.g. Hg(l) (mercury is liquid at room temperature).
(aq)
- (aq) is used for aqueous solutions (substances dissolved in water), and therefore it is used more often than (l).
- E.g. NaOH(aq).
- E.g. H2SO4(aq).
(g)
- (g) is used for gases.
- E.g. H2(g).
- E.g. CO2(g).
Test yourself on State Symbols
What state symbol is correct for each of these substances at room temperature?
What do we call the letters that tell us the state of matter of substances in a chemical equation?
Why is the state symbol (aq) used more often than (l) in chemical equations?
Why is mercury given the state symbol Hg(l) when most other metals are given the symbol (s)?
Why is sulfuric acid written as H2SO4(aq) rather than H2SO4(l) when it is dissolved in water?