Final answer:
True, scientists use chemical formulas as shorthand to display the composition of compounds; the formula shows each element's symbol and the number of atoms in the compound through subscripts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yes, it is true that scientists show the composition of compounds by a kind of shorthand known as a chemical formula. A chemical formula is a concise way of giving detailed information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound.
It shows each element by its symbol, derived sometimes from the Latin name of the element, and indicates how many atoms of each element are present in the compound through the use of subscript numbers. For example, the molecular formula for water is H2O, which means each molecule of water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
The elemental makeup of a compound defines its chemical identity, and chemical formulas are the most succinct way of representing this composition. An empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of the elements in a compound, such as CH2O for glucose, which is different from its molecular formula C6H12O6. Knowledge of the compound's molar mass is necessary to convert an empirical formula to a molecular formula.