Chemical structures are versatile

The chemical structures are the most versatile way, even for nonchemists, to define a chemical. The chemical structure hides or, better, displays all the properties of the compound. The chemical structures may also be written in several ways. It is therefore not a waste of time to leam some examples of chemical formulas for the more important groups of pesticides. 

There are some conventions about how the structures are depicted, but in this book, the structure is drawn to make clear the important points. For instance, the structure for atrazine should be written with this orientation, with the number 1 ring — nitrogen — upward. 

It is easier to remember and to see the symmetry when written in this direction  

Remember that the same structural elements may be written quite differently. Carboxyl groups (organic acids) may be drawn in two ways, or in the anionic form, without the hydrogen  

A methylene bridge can be written in at least three different ways  

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