The
structural formula of a
chemical compound is a graphic representation of the molecular structure, showing how the atoms are arranged. The
chemical bonding within the molecule is also shown, either explicitly or implicitly. Unlike
chemical formulas, which have a limited number of symbols and are capable of only limited descriptive power,
structural formulas provide a complete geometric representation of the molecular structure. For example, many chemical compounds exist in different
isomeric forms, which have different
enantiomeric structures but the same
chemical formula. A structural formula is able to indicate arrangements of atoms in three dimensional space in a way that a chemical formula may not be able to do.